


Maelstrom

by CheshireKisses26



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Norse Religion & Lore, F/F, F/M, Gen, International Fanworks Day 2021, M/M, Multi, Mythology References, New World (One Piece), One Piece Universe, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, References to Norse Religion & Lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:55:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 58
Words: 79,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27258292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireKisses26/pseuds/CheshireKisses26
Summary: Ruse Argenti, a bold and troublesome pirate makes her name known all across the seas as she embarks on a journey of a lifetime, making allies and enemies, rivals, foes, and stalkers alike, challenging the world government, and embellishing her existence in history. Will she continue to stand tall before the New World, or will she stumble again in the face of adversity? Read more to find out!--Inspired by the totally awesome author- animefreak1145-along with their piece 'Strong'<3
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Original Female Character(s), Crocodile (One Piece)/Original Female Character(s), Donquixote Doflamingo/Original Female Character(s), Dracule Mihawk/Original Female Character(s), Eustass Kid/Original Female Character(s), Smoker (One Piece)/Original Female Character(s), Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 34





	1. Introduction

\-----------  
Introduction  
\-----------

Character Name:  
-Ruse Argenti

Character’s Bounty Name: “Silver Fang” or “Death Dog” 

Age: 19 

Psychical Description: Shorter in height than most at roughly 5”0, pure white hair usually worn in two styles: long and unbound or short and spiky like a fauxhawk, heterochromatic eyes- one silver, one gold, though her eyes were naturally both golden hues- only changing to dual-colored after a certain situation, two scars around her lower face, mouth is usually hidden by her muzzle- prior to meeting her nakama, also has pale skin with multiple scars- some more important than others, pure white facial hair- eyebrows, eyelashes, etc. 

Character quirks/traits: Habitual smoker (later in story after certain events take place) constantly wears a muzzle- to avoid fangs being in the way and the massive amounts of smells along with a complex about her scars (changes in story after meeting someone) heavy cursing especially around children by mistake, odd way of cursing as well though she won't admit it, breaks a lot of her bones by accident from her own strength 

Character personality: Mischievous, likes to pull pranks, always hungry, hyperactive, flirty and has a non-filtered mind, bittersweet, competitive as hell, somehow always lucky with gambling and cards, independent, bold, etc. 

Character flaws: Self-destructive, habitual thief, distrustful towards most, indulgent of bad habits, psychologically/emotionally traumatized, anger issues, constant hunger 

Relatives: None known so far for biological relatives, but will find them later on in the story progression 

Allies: Almost everyone she meets, yet she keeps most at a distance- has trust issues- but some allies that can be names are the Red-Haired Pirates, a certain warlord, townsfolk of her second home, etc. 

Enemies: Main enemy is Im along with the Five Elders- though not much is known about them, Ruse has a sneaking suspension that they run the place, though she hasn't made much progression with that. First and foremost common known enemies for her are- unjust marines, blueblood scum (royals that abuse their power) celestial dragons, bounty hunters, AkuIno, Blackbeard, Kaido, etc. 

Goals/Ambitions: To overthrow the World Government and free the people, to find her family, to become someone that can protect her nakama 

Devil Fruit: Okami Okami Fruit  
Powers of Fruit: Anthropomorphism, Digestive Shapeshifting, Regenerative Healing, Beast Senses, Superhuman Strength, etc. 

-Anthropomorphism: She can assume different types and builds of wolves, including monstrous size all the way to humanoid wolf-form, any canine features will shrink/grow with size changing 

-Digestive Shapeshifting: Literally becoming a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” when using this she can become any of her victims she had eaten/consumed in the day prior up tp the moment of usage

-Regenerative Healing Factor: Basically any damage taken she can heal just as fast as dealt, does leave heavy scarring if not healed in time or properly, side-effect is always being hungry to have her metabolism keep up with her body’s rapid healing 

-Superhuman Strength: Exactly as it sounds like, she can use more strength in her forms than an average wolf or human would be able to since it’s a combined effect, pretty much just like it sounds like  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is other characters all OC for Ruse's Crew (Will be introduced later in the story for progression) 

OC Crew for Ruse D. Argenti  
Crew name: The Fang Pirates  
Members: 6 (including Ruse as Captain) 

First mate, aka second in command  
Name: Felix Invicta- meaning “loyal, lucky” for first name meaning “Unconquered, strong” for last name, was just a regular kid holding his own, no bounty prior but his bounty skyrocketing after he joins Ruse and forms the Fang Pirates, dubbed as ‘Devil’s-luck Felix ‘ for his superstitious shit luck despite the name Felix  
Physical appearance: Shoulder length golden-yellow hair, bright green eyes, crooked smile, scar across his eyebrow and left eye, tall and limber, usually has some sort of grease smudged on him from tinkering with things, always carrying a rabbit’s foot across his hip and other superstitions lucky items  
From: Grey Terminal, slum brat found by Ruse, forced her accept him as her first mate in return for fixing up her ship  
Skills: Quick and agile, uses a set of bronze gauntlets, tinker/mechanic  
Personality: Charismatic, flirty, loud, boisterous, unlucky as he somehow manages to always have the worst outcome happen to him, spaztic, superstitious  
\---  
Second mate, Quartermaster aka ‘navigator’  
Name: Druiden Reiner, now known as ‘’Wild Dog Druiden’ no bounty posted since Druiden had been reportedly assumed MIA by base, his former squad leader leaving him to die since he was going to be appointed his position, (Picture someone close to you that you respected and admired betraying you so he could keep his ranking) but later is seen travelling with the Fangs, turning on the marines and thus giving him a huge bounty for turning sides, giving him a newfound hatred for marines and hypocritical justice  
Physical appearance: short messy black hair spiked in a faux hawk, previously had been long black hair neatly kept in a low ponytail before joining Ruse and the Fangs, pierced eyebrow along with multiple body modifications and tattoos  
From: 8th Branch Marine Base in the East Blue (non cannon in one piece) betrayed by Nelson Royale and Eric the Whirlwind after hearing about his promotion to vice-captain they threw him overboard presuming he had died but was rescued by Ruse and Felix, accepting himself as one of their own for the Fang Pirates, after they helped him get revenge on the marines for their hypocrisy, destroying their special cannon and wreaking havoc on their Crane’s Wing Formation (10 ships) and dealing with Eric the Whirlwind (A devil fruit user paramecia type that grew long nails allowing him to cut slashes like an air of wind dubbed as ‘whirlwind’) that Ruse easily defeats and Druiden joining them on their journey to set the world right  
Skills: navigation, former marine, trained in hand-to-hand combat, weapon of choice is two hook swords aka twin hooks, double-blade wielder, intel and skills from marine base, intellectual, knows how to ink/tattoo along with knowledge of body modifications  
Personality: previously had been well-respected in the marines, avid rule follower, basically a well-liked and poster-child of a young marine,-but now cynical, loose-lipped, heavily curses, sarcastic, dark sense of humor, can drink almost anyone under the table, roughish bad-boy persona, goes out of his way to cause discord when marines engage, trigger word being ‘marine’ (picture Shizou’s attitude from Durarara)  
\---  
Third mate, Helmsman aka someone who steers the ship  
Name: Koda Ortiz, first name meaning ‘little bear’ bounty name dubbed as “Bear Cub Koda” for his youthful appearance, which he always grumbles about  
Physical appearance: curly light blue hair, darker skinned (Native American) with brown eyes, smaller willowy yet sturdy frame, easily a foot or two shorter than most of the crew  
From: Tequila Wolf, Ruse had found him as she journeyed through the seas, arriving at Tequila Wolf, befriending Betty B thus helping out the revolutionary army, she had saved him from hypothermia and malnourishment, and when he had heard that she was leaving he begged her to let him be a part of her crew, which she obliged, and he’s been fiercely loyal to her and the rest of the fang pirates every since  
Skills: weapon of choice is chakrams and bear claw’s (brass knuckles with longer tips curved in them) long range fighter foremost but will engage close combat with his bear claws if needed, sturdy build, knows how to ride the waves  
Personality: free-spirited, loves booze, strong, sensitive about his height, playful and high-strung, easily irritated, always ready to fight  
\---  
Fourth mate, medic or doctor on the ship  
Name: Ciara Fitzgerald, dubbed as “Fitzgerald Twins” with her brother  
Physical appearance: bright orange hair usually worn in two braids, big blue eyes, freckles, pale skin  
From: Loguetown, having first encountered Ruse and the rest of her crew in a bar, Ruse had saved her and her brother Killiean from a drunk group of pirates, easily defeating them, and asking Ciara and Killiean if they want to join them, Ciara was suspicious and asked Ruse to prove herself, not believing that she had saved them out of her own good will, Ruse accepts and proves herself, leaving Ciara and Killiean shocked before they accept their ranks into the Fang Pirates  
Skills: non-combatant, but if needed uses a blow-gun and darts she keeps on her at all times, tends to wounded, skillful in medical field, well-versed  
Personality: distrustful of others besides her own, usually sticks close to Ruse and her brother more often than the rest of the crew, loud, fiery temper, knows how to handle herself  
\---  
Fifth mate, cook  
Name: Killiean Fitzgerald, dubbed as “Fitzgerald Twins” with his sister  
Physical appearance: ginger hair, blue eyes, Irish decent slips into accent frequently,  
From: Loguetown, see above for Ciara’s story for more detail  
Skills: weapon of choice is throwing knives, sometimes his own cutting blades from the kitchen, deadly aim, knows how to make a good meal  
Personality: caring, stubborn, hardworking, goofy, fiery temper when provoked to match his sister’s, team mom as dubbed by the crew  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now that we have that all covered for the introduction, let's dive right in!


	2. Chapter 2

**Maelstrom**

_Noun: A large, powerful or violent whirlpool_

_A mixture of disorganized and chaotic state of mind_

Cerulean blue stretches as far as the eye can see, waves gently rolling across a marine ship, the crew lazed out in the sun enjoying the calm weather. The atmosphere is nice and lazy, sea salt wafting through the air, occasional splashes in the water, all is steady. Until loud cannon booms sound from the distance, not close enough to see with the naked eye, but the marine in the crows nest easily scopes out two ships engaging in battle, not far from their own.

  
“All men on deck! Hoist the sails and prepare for a counterattack! Two ships spotted at 6 knot! Get yer asses moving!” Shouts a voice from the deck, the marines scramble to retaliate, frantically grabbing their weapons and manning the ship. Or at least trying to man the ship, although not nearly moving fast enough. A yelp comes from one who was roughly pushed aside as another crewmate shoved him to grab his cutlass.

  
“Must be them damn pirates again. I ain’t gonna let ‘em get away, they’re gonna sink to the bottom of the ocean where scum like ‘em belong!” The commander of the ship grits out, already planning on how to sink the two ships inbound, as he orders his men to prepare for attack.

  
“Get ready, they’re 2 knots away, they have black flags! Commander! Commander!” The crows nest marine frantically peers from his perch, shouting to his captain hurriedly, not having dealt with many pirates prior, understandably the young man looked ready to piss himself.

  
“Shut yer trap! You’re a marine now, you need to man up and crush those filthy pirates in the name of justice!” The commander shouts back, not noticing the fact that there seemed to be another ship of some sort, creeping up from the sea itself.  
While the rest of the marine crew gathers their weapons and starts to shove gunpowder in the cannon dock, too preoccupied with the two pirate ships ahead of them, the ship sneaking upon them emerges, silent as the night. A iridescent gleam of coating shines softly around the ship, though this ship seems more of a dinghy than a ship. Small and compact, clearly only able to fit four to five people, the coated dinghy continues to emerge, hidden behind the marine’s own. A shock of pure white hair emerges from the deck door, as a small lithe form moves stealthily across the dinghy, towards the ship ahead. The small white haired person climbs over the lip of the boat, wrapping a black cloak tightly around their body, and creeping into the lower decks from the top ones without being noticed in the fray of confusion.

More cannon fire rips across the sea, the ships engaging, men shouting and swords clanging as the marines and pirates clash. The cloaked person stalks through the halls, and easily navigates towards the map room. As they enter, they quickly look around once more to make sure the coast is clear before nodding their head slightly. Striding to a desk within the center of the map's rooms, the cloaked figure begins searching the desk, filing through papers eagerly, long pale fingers search around the wooden desk before stopping at the underside of the wood, a soft tick can be heard, the underside of the desk clicks open to reveal a secret compartment, berris and gold brimming from the drawer. The cloaked figure quickly grabs the money and the gold, stuffing them in a leather-drawn pouch before closing the compartment again, none the wiser. The cloaked figure strides back towards the door, pouch in hand before pausing. They whirl around once more stalking back to the wooden desk before grabbing a quill off the desk, scrawling out a note on the maps left atop. With another nod the figure once again stalks out of the room, quietly and skillfully moving down the halls and back up the deck, narrowly avoiding marines running around chaotically, cutlasses in hands as more cannons ring out. The marines, none the wiser, continue their assault without spotting the figure waltz back off their ship and onto the coated dinghy below.

The cloaked figure, safely back in their own boat, slides the cloak off once more, white hair billowing down their back. Twirling the stuffed full pouch across their fingers as they begin to submerge their coated dinghy, they look back again to the scene in front of them. Two pirate ships and a marine’s ship all locked in battle, smoke curling around their boats and the sounds of gunfire and shouting echo around. Another day's work for them, the three ships could all sink for all the white haired person could care about. They grin, and as their dinghy continues to submerge.

The Silver Fang strikes again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know it's a work in progress, but feel free to comment any changes or critiques that y'all think of when reading! There will be plenty of background information later on in the story for Ruse and her character.  
> Love ya <3


	3. Chapter 3

\---

Ruse's POV

“Hell’s horns, you’ve got to be kidding me right now.” A grimace slowly turns to a snarl as you let out an exasperated sigh.

To think your bounty jumped again. Ah, how lovely.

You growl as you shove a hand through your unruly mane, very much not wanting to look at the damable thing.

Curse your luck.

How were you supposed to know that the ship you robbed blind a few days ago belonged to a noble's relatives? It had been a marine ship, you were positive.

Ah, well at least 75% positive but those are semantics.

You hadn't thought that the profit you stole- collected- had apparently already belonged to a noble. Having been promised at due time. It was supposed to be handed off as a trade of some sorts, but you didn't ever really think that far ahead.

I mean, who would think that a marine ship would be paying off some blueblood as using their own ships as a transportation means?

Not you that's for sure.

Gold and berri and hidden jewels that had yet to be received by their customer, and said customer was not happy.

Not in the least bit.

How were you supposed to know that leaving a little love note -one that was obviously written with good intentions and not containing a trace of mocking mannerisms at all, nope not one bit- would wind up blowing so chaotically out of proportion?

Certainly not you.

With another sigh your weary and salt-stained eyes fix back on the paper in your hand.

A news coo had just delivered the bundle to your small dingy and you knew for a fact it had just shit on your only form of transportation. The avain had a smug grin on its beak that you were positive you weren't imagining, cawing at you in a beseeching manner.

You growled at the pest, a dark and cruel grin on your lips as you swore vengeance on that swmary feathered bastard.

You were gonna roast it alive the next time it showed its ugly maw.

Ah, right. Bastardized birds aside- you had been doing something just a moment ago. Hm...what was it again?

Oh! You tapped your forehead softly. Right! Of course.

Your gaze returns back to the paper in hand, a scowl on your face as you stare back at a very familiar looking bounty poster.

The resemblance was uncanny!

“Silver Fang” aka Ruse D. Argenti.

Yeah. It was you.

You were honestly surprised you had one, you were only sixteen.

It was a bit odd and just a tad humours that you had a printed warrant out for your arrest. It's not like you were a noticeable figure out here on the seas, you were just a simple miscreant.

A small time thief.

Just an average ruffian getting by in life.

To be honest you already knew that you had a bad habit of sticky fingers. You knew that you should've gotten rid of it years ago, but you hadn't nipped it in the bud soon enough, and now here you were.

Sticky fingers and an overactive imagination with a rapidly diminishing impulse control.

It was not the best mix.

Your habits tended to get you in a bit of hot water whilst traveling, and most of your...err...situations...tended to happen at sea.

You suppose it's a tad...reasonable.

Just a teeny tiny bit logical.

A smidgen of sorts that had been deserved.

Golden eyes glance back down at the evidence. The aged worn paper that had your face printed on it, a knowing grin that held a lifetime of trouble.

You were labeled as a pirate.

Criminal.

Ruffian.

Law-breaking citizen.

They were all the same in the marines eyes.

But most of the time you only performed small petty theft, nothing too flashy or showy. You figured that if you had been able to keep your big mouth shut though, it likely would have helped. Not to mention, marines were cracking down on everyone, so even if you had been a tad more polite from those you stole from...well...you supposed that a bounty were to be expected eventually.

Damn, you hadn't imagined having one so soon.

A wanted poster meant that people would be out for your head. Well, maybe not. Hopefully not.

After all you were a freshly appointed criminal, maybe no one would bother hunting down the small frys. There were so many other viable options, no one should waste their time on little 'ol you.

You sigh again, a tad dejected.

It hadn't been your plan to get a bounty so soon...and certainly not one that had increased within days of your first printed poster.

Your luck really was shit, wasn't it?

A wiry small figure stared back at you as you scoff at the printed papers. They really could’ve taken a better picture, you mused with a frown.

It was literally the least they could do when they made you a publicly known nuisance that needed to be 'eliminated'.

Your pure white hair was caked in mud making the white locks look more of a murky brown.

The leather muzzle had dried blood flaked over it. Were they trying to imply that you were unhygienic? How dare they! Your frown deepened as you lean in to get a closer look. Huh, imagine that.

If you stared close enough at the poster, you could see razor sharp canines poking through the bottom of the leatherbound device that had been strapped over your jaw. Those bastards didn't even make an attempt to blur out your elongated incisors, how rude. You had a complex about them.

Of course they had to snap the picture at the most inopportune moment. You wanted a bounty poster that had you grinning, something fun and smug yet defiant. In this one you were glaring. Golden orbs were alight with a furious burning rage, your face had been twisted in a vicious looking snarl that was somewhat visible, somehow. You really didn't know how, but it was there. A flash of teeth that had been barred threateningly from underneath the leather muzzle you always wore.

Feral.

You looked feral. Like a wild animal living in human skin.

With a picture like this people definitely wouldn’t want to approach you, much less not run away when you had to buy your supplies. That would rather inconvenient now wouldn't it?

Ah, damn it to seven hells.

Why couldn’t they have taken it before you fought with that stubborn sea king? Then you wouldn’t look so deplorable. Well, the least deplorable you could get when one was a pirate you suppose.

With another not-so-happy sigh you put the wanted poster down as you pace your dinghy’s deck floors. Might as well go into town now, with nothing to do and your stomach ready to eat again. The sea king was not nearly enough for you, after all... you were quite notorious for your huge appetite that took forever to satiate.

But if you remembered correctly, the sea king you slaughtered seemed well-fed. That was actually the first good news you had for a while.

You grin.

It meant there was a town nearby.

With your grin stretching wider you decided, why the hell not? You may not carry a map on you, but you always seemed to luck out somehow. A map wasn't something you carried on you very often, you let the sea take you wherever she wants you to go. It was much easier that way and much more fun than trying to navigate the uncharted waters that you sailed upon.

At this thought you let out a small snicker, feeling much better now that you had something to do instead of staring at the bounty moresorly.

You had a town to visit and a kitchen to raid.

A huge grin splits across your face as you stretch lazily.

Yeah, that sounds like a grand idea.

Pale slender hands reach out and grip onto familiar splintered wood as you start to hum softly, a sea shanty on the tip of your tongue.

It was time for another adventure.

You continue, a bright grin on your face as you begin steering the wheel towards what you believe to be the nearest mass of land.

\---

Shanks' POV

Laughter rings out around you and your crew as you playfully wrap your arms around the Little Anchor that had taken to you. The kid had been staring up at you with childlike wonder on his face, seemingly awestruck at the tales you spun.

“I’m gonna be just like you when I get older Shanks! The best pirate in the world, better than that, the best pirate in the universe!” His voice shouts out next to you, the kid pulling at your clothes, demeaning attention.

You chuckle amusedly.

“Alright then Luffy, you can dream. But what’re you gonna do when I beat you?” The kid scowls at you, his face scrunched up in thought.

“B-But I'm gonna be the strongest!” He declares with a burning determination in his eyes, one that you hadn't expected to see.

You smile at him, kids were a real hoot. Thinking with that kind of naïve mindset never ceased to amuse him, but he had to wonder a little about what the kid had meant when he claimed he would be 'the strongest'.

Suddenly the doors to the bar you’re in swing open. The laughter stops as a group of scruffy and worn mountain bandits make their way to the counter.

“Got any booze left over for us here sweets?” A bulking and glaring man asks as he comes to the stool next to you, leering at the green haired woman.

Makino peers over the counter, and shakes her head in a polite mannered way.

“Sadly looks like the pirates beat you here, would you like some water or juice instead?”

The gruff looking man, likely their leader, scowls at the answer. His gaze flickers over to you and the crew, seeing the mugs of ale that were in your hands. There's thinly veiled rage and bitterness on his face as he glares before nodding to your half-empty bottle.

“Looks like ya had enough for scum like ‘em, why not check the back for me?” He growls to the barmaid, annoyance visible as you watch.

You had managed to not let any laughter bubble out of you at the situation. What a lad. He clearly was also a bit naïve, but not the cute way that Luffy and the rest of the kiddos were.

“Here mate, you can have the rest of mine.” You gesture towards your drink, only ¼ of the way gone, a courtesy.

The gruff bandit scowls at you, a building rage in his eyes as you cock your head at his response. Ah, so he had wanted to make a mess of the place.

The familiar taste of ale and island berries tickle your lips as the bandit empties out the mug atop your head.

Ah, he was one of those men then was he?

He had chortled with self-satisfied pride, throwing parting insults as he and his band of merry idiots exit the bar, drink long forgotten.

All is quiet.

Someone snickers from the corner of the bar, and you can feel the corners of your lips tug upwards.

Another chuckle. A guwaff. Soon the whole crew had begun to burst out into laughter.

You join along with them.

Sometimes it’s better to laugh things off, especially in cases like these. Those mountain bandits were leagues below you and your crew, they could take their twisted jealousy and shove off with it. Men like that were the type that you didn't even bother with.

Luffy glares at you, the Little Anchor has a frown on his face. Ah, to be young.

The lad climbs on top of his stool besides you, his earlier praises and wide-eyed wonder gone.

“Shanks! Why are you all laughing?! He just said mean things and threw your drink, and you don’t do anything but laugh?" The kid starts to cry as he shouts from atop his perch.

"I thought you were pirates!” His lower lip quivers as snot runs down his face.

You look down at Luffy, a knowing smile on your face before responding to the kid's sudden outburst.

“Exactly Little Anchor, we’re pirates. They were just some 'ol mountain bandits. Sometimes you just laugh it off, like we did just now. You’ll understand when you’re a wee bit older lad.”

Luffy looks up at you and nods after he calms down, snotfaced and teary eyed but with a small grin on his youthful face.

“Alright. I'm going to go down by the docks then, maybe I'll catch a sea king!" He swings from the counter, a hopeful look on his face. "By the way, got any more meat?”

You chuckle before rubbing his head affectionately, grabbing him a plate off the counter.

Kids were something else, that’s for sure.  
\--  
Ruse's POV

Your stomach growled loudly as you readjusted your compass, damn thing might as well be broken for your lousy sense of direction.

You look back up towards the direction you thought to be where land was.

Ah-ha! There we go, you laugh as you begin to navigate through the waters till you get towards shore. Tying up your dinghy you make your way through what looks to be a village of some sorts, small but not too small, people are milling and strolling through town, and right ahead of you is exactly what you were looking for.

Food.

You grin as you throw your hood up, covering your face in case of any locals that may know you, even if you were a low-tier bounty, you were still a pirate, and having a bounty meant more often than not being on your guard 24/7. After fixing your appearance a little, misconstruing your gender was easy when wearing a cloak like yours, and hiding your hair, you shift your muzzle into place before pushing open the doors to Party’s Bar. 

“Welcome what can I get for you today Sir?” A soft feminine voice calls from behind the bar stool. Ah, easy as pie, even women thought you were a guy, well as seeing how you were dressed, plus having been used to binding your chest, you were more than okay with it. Made life a little easier on you. 

“Could I get 6 servings of meat? And some water please.” You made sure your voice was an even pitch, not quite male, not quite female. The woman behind the counter poked her head up, green curls bouncing as she gave you a lookover before grinning a wide smile. 

“Of course. And will that be all for you kiddo?” Dammit, you thought you did a good enough job, but being particularly short for your age kinda blew your cover.

Luckily she didn’t think much of it, probably not even recognizing you, or at least not caring to recognize you as you weren’t exactly the biggest fish in the sea so to say. You grin at her from beneath your muzzle, your cloak already serving its purpose, you slid the hood down. This town seemed safe enough, plus you were only a small-time thief, not really a bloodthirsty yonko. Your white mane of hair cascades down your back as you make your way to a stool by the bar counter. 

“It’ll be ready here in about 10 minutes if that’s alright with you kid.” You nod at the green haired woman and relax into your seat.

Letting a groan out, you slid your eyes around the bar, trying to scope out any potential victims for pickpocketing, you sigh.

Looks like everyone here seemed to be on their guard twenty-four-seven. You knew that behind their relaxed postures and easy going façade lay a completely different creature than the one that meets the eye. You grimace, people tend to be like that if they were like you. People that were labeled or considered an outlaw or scoundrel to the law.

You turn towards the presence next to you, hoping to find better luck.

You peer at the man, interest piqued. How odd. His hair is crimson red, a shaggy cut that was worn wild and free. He had a ruggedness to him, not a bad one but one that made you want to do bad things.

His frame was much larger than your own, easily dwarfing over yours and he hadn't even stood up yet. He had a scar across one of his eyes, and for some reason you had an incredulous urge to touch it.

The redhead had gunmetal grey eyes, a pretty color you had absentmindedly thought. A unique color for sure, but a color that seemed to fit him nonetheless.

He had a crooked smirk that dripped pride and smugness and for some reason you found your own lips twitching upwards as if to subconsciously mimic the expression. Huh. Well, that was odd.

If you were couple years older this man would absolutely one hundred percent be making you drool. But right now to you, he wasn't of more interest to you than a pretty face. The redhead seemed so self-assured, you knew that he would be perfect prey for your sneaky habit.

You grin from beneath your muzzle as you nudge his right shoulder, pretending to lean down to fix your laces of your boots.

“Oh sorry Sir, didn’t mean to bump you.” You grin up at the red haired man an innocent smile on your face.

As he looks down at you, posture still relaxed and open, you internally do a victory dance. Looks like the redhead didn’t seem to sense anything malicious from you.

Lucky!

He nodded and scooted a little to his right, turning away from you as if he were trying to be courteous. You felt a tad guilty, but it was his fault for being so trusting to a stranger that was very clearly invading his personal space. Ya snooze, ya loose.

Ah, little did he know that he had just given you the perfect amount of room to lean into him and stealthily dip your hand into his sash, sticky fingers already at work. Dexterous slender fingers skim his pants, the outlines of pockets and any other ridges or dips in the fabrics. You were searching for any valuables, acting as though you were merely using his weight to help you raise yourself back up from ‘tying your laces.’ It was a rather clever trick if you do say so yourself, took a moment but you finally feel the cold metal of coin and berri that had been tucked away inside his pockets.

You grin from beneath your leather muzzle, before smoothly depositing your finds into the edges of your boots, sitting back against the stool instead of leaning against the redhead.

“Haven’t seen you around here before, you new in town kid?” His timbre voice asks from next to you as you grin at him from behind your muzzle. 

“Just passing through. You live here?” You quip in response, stomach still growling as you peered over the counter top again, eager for your food. 

“Just passing through.” He smirks at you, bastard thought he was funny eh? You smile placidly back at the red haired man, before arching an eyebrow. 

“Oh yeah? Well, Mr. Just Passing Through, I’m sure you have somewhere you call home, huh?” You snark back at him, a little hangry and not really in the mood to deal with a redhead idiot.

The redhead laughs before he shoots you a smile, “My home is the sea. She calls for me and I go. How about you kid? Must have somewhere to go back to at the end of the day right? Or ya going through one of those ‘parents don’t understand me’ so you’re running from home things?”

You tense, your muscles bunching underneath your cloak. As soon as those words were out of his mouth, you already had your knife slid under his chin, one hand holding his crimson locks tightly whilst the other had taken to pressing into the soft flesh of his skin.

“That’s none of your goddamn business redhead idiot man.” You snarl back at him. “Conversation closed.”

He looks at you with a bit of surprise, as if he hadn't expected you to get the jump on him. Ha, men were truly egotistical. The redhead's look of quiet suporse falls away, leaving a small smirk on his handsome face. It almost was as if he hadn't just gotten a knife pressed against his throat minutes ago. The man cocks his head, like on would when they are trying to solve a particularly interesting and complex puzzle.

He grins, looking at the people around the bar.

Oh no. You pale slightly as you follow his gaze.

Oh no indeed.

The same group of jovial and lazy men who had all previously been preoccupied with their drinks and conversation- were now eerily quiet.

Watching. Observing. Waiting.

They were the same group of ruffians that had been loafing around completely lax, but now...now they were suddenly bristiling. On edge. The group seemed to be completely focused on you and the redhead man, obviously aware of the situation that had just unfolded.

Eyes were glued on the two of you, a flurry of movement that was too fast for you to fully process.

Several pairs of hands were now grappled tightly around concealed weapons hidden in their clothing.

These men were ready to engage, ready to intervene and likely kill you on spot.

Ah, Hell's Horns, you didn’t think this idiot was a part of the rest of those outlaws. Pirates? Eh, whatever they were.

You kept your posture rigid, not daring to let go. You knew instinctively that giving an inch in this situation would be like turning your back on a bloodthirsty predator, all too eager to strike you down.

“Sorry kid, guess I touched a nerve.” The redhead drawls out, an unreadable look flashing in his eyes, something akin to interest and wonder.

The man proceeds to place both of his hands face up, showing that he was barren of any weapon.

The rest of the bar is still poised to attack, but one wave from the red haired man and they all relax once more, melting back into languid postures and easy grins.

You slid the blade back in your cloak as you looked this red haired man over once more. Huh, imagine that. You were a bit intrigued and slightly awed that this man had so much power over those people. Wonder what the seven hell's this guy did to earn so much respect?

“It’s fine. Don’t talk about my family again though or you’re gonna end up with your pretty red hair being my winter scarf.” You growl, belatedly realizing that the insult was not nearly as clever as you had thought in your head. 

“So you think my hair is pretty?” He smirks at you.

You frown.

That was absolutely not what you said.

“No I-” You began but stopped as you saw the man grin.

Bastard, he totally drew you in to that one.

You scoff. “Tch. Whatever."

The man grins at you again before he stretches himself across the bar counter. His physique is much larger and sturdier than yours, making you feel like he was peacocking.

Bastard probably was.

“So kid, aside from my pretty red hair, what brought you to Foosha Village? Are you looking for someone? Hate to tell ya, but there ain't much around here, what ya see is what ya got.” He drawls out, one hand under his chin, studying you as you face towards him, stance open but tense.

You were ready to fight or take flight at any given moment.

“Got hungry.” You deadpanned. 

He stares at you.

You stare back.

You keep staring till you crack a grin. 

“Just joking. I didn’t have a map, and there was a nasty sea king that wouldn’t let me go the way I wanted to so I changed course for here. Annnnnnnd I am kinda hungry. He really wasn’t much, too tough of meat.” You stretch as you relax into an easy going posture.

This man wasn’t gonna do anything to you, he already proved his point after you had threatened him with your knife from hidden in your cloak. Even if this red haired man was an idiot, he clearly had enough respect from the men in the bar, so you figured he was a strong idiot. And idiot or not, if he was stronger than you, you really didn’t want to cause any more trouble.

The man looks at you, processing what you just said before he chuckles. Not quite sure if that was him ridiculing you or him just thinking the situation was funny, you shrug. Whether he believes you or not, you really don’t care, you only have one thing on your mind. Food. 

“Ah, I wouldn't peg you for a seafaring kid from the looks of you, but I’d reckon that you could stay a couple days. You got a ship out there?” He asks, his voice less playful than before, but not threatening. More serious, intrigued if you’d have to guess. That same unreadable look in his grey eyes seems to have returned at the mere mention of the words 'sea' and 'ship'.

“Yep. Out by the shore, east of the town. Wouldn’t want anyone trying to steal her ahaha..." You swallow nervously before continuing. "You said you sail as well?" You question in return, silently and fervently praying that he doesn’t pry more.

“Aye, she’s a beauty, out by the docks, but I’d reckon no one would want to steal her.” He chuckles as he continues, a knowing grin on his face as he leans in to your space. Huh. Suddenly the redhead is a lot closer than you remembered him being, that was rather nerve-wracking.

“You just traveled by your lonesome then kid? Must be pretty tough out there for someone without a crew.” His voice is a low timbre that rumbles with amusement and something else. Interest? Intrigue? Curiosity? Who knew?

You sweat drop.

Uh-oh. You replay what the redhead just said, looking back at him with a wide eyed look. Did he say crew?

“Ahaha, you know what they say, better to work by yourself than have to split your meals with another mouth to feed.” You scratch your cheek, your muzzle shifting out of place slightly before you laugh lightly. You had immediately averted your gaze as soon as you realized that you had let slip your momentary panic at the word 'crew'.

“To each their own though.” You give the red haired man another look, barely managing to surpass a squeak of surprise as you're met with a pair of amused looking grey orbs that seem to be laughing at you.

Ah, dammit! You had just been trying to sneak a peek. Ya know, gauge his reaction, that sort of thing.

You hadn't thought too far ahead yet about if he caught you trying to profile. It wasn't even something that you had considered to being a possibility that he been doing to same. So stupid!

The rest of the men in the bar were still watching the two of you, their gazes were cautious, but they weren't portrayed as aggressive, which you were extremely thankful for. They seemed to be more...assessing...if anything.

If he had said traveling with a crew, and those keen gazes were trained on the two of you at the bar...well...that could only mean one thing.

This man was a pirate.

\---


	4. Chapter 4

Shanks POV 

The kid that just walked in the bar, he was interesting for sure. His voice was pitched in between feminine and masculine, and his stature was rather small, almost feminine with the willowy frame. So young, yet all by his lonesome, and on the waves to add to that. Not many could fare the ocean by themselves, so he had to give the kid credit where it was due. Strange attire that kid was wearing, a cloak clearly too big for him, with a knife he had concealed under. How the kid was able to get the jump on Shanks he really would like to know. One minute the kid was all smirks and smugness and the next the kid had a knife at his jugular, quicker than his eye could follow. Maybe the kid had Haki? But at such a young age, it didn’t make much sense to him. All Shanks knew was that this kid that just walked into the local bar was someone who had peaked his interest. And anything that caught his interest was something he’d like to keep around.  
\--

“So kid, you don’t have a crew then?” You ask, voice even, trying to keep the surprise and curiosity from bleeding into it. 

“Aye, just me, myself and I.” The kid answers, golden eyes flashing with caution, trying to avoid looking back up at me. I can tell that the kid also put two and two together, and his body language shouted defensiveness. 

“Hmm, that’s too bad. You could join mine if you ever wanted to though. I'm sure it gets lonely out there, all by yourself.” You answer back, eyes darting toward your crew in the bar, gesturing to them to lower their guard. This kid wouldn’t attack you a second time, not after he connected the pieces together. 

The kid whirled his head up, his golden orbs widened in surprise, before narrowing his eyes at you suspiciously. 

“No thanks, I can’t really say I trust you enough to just take your word for it and join your crew of merry idiots.” He scoffs, as he crosses his fingers in a figure of an “X.” You can feel your crew's eyes on you, curious of your encounter with the strange kid. You quirk an eyebrow in surprise.

Has this kid really never heard of you? Who would’ve thought that there’s people out there that could live in such ignorance. If he didn’t know about you and your crew, you really wanted to keep this kid close. Mainly because if he didn’t know about you, and after he threatened you, the captain of the Red-Haired pirates, you honestly were worried about what he'd try to do to other pirates. God forbid if this kid somehow met Whitebeard, poor thing wouldn’t last a minute. But he was pretty ballsy to pull a knife on you of all people, he had to give credit to the kid. Even if he was ignorant, he had enough brains to put together that you and your crew were dangerous if provoked, meaning he could be someone interesting for sure. 

“Merry idiots? Well, that’s one way to call us I’m sure.” You chuckle again. “But most people call us the Red-Haired Pirates, and my name is Shanks.” You glance over at the kid, waiting to see if he understood. Golden eyes stare quizzically back up at you. You sigh. Well, if the kid didn’t know who you were, you might as well show him. 

“C’mon kid, let me show you my ship. And maybe you can show me yours, after all, I feel like you’ve got a lot of fire, I like kids like you.” 

The kid jolts away as you stand closer to him, defensively crouching back he puts his hands in front of him. “No way! That sounds really perverted and I think you’re a bit too old for me, even if you are pretty, you’re really not my type, sorry.” 

Laughter rings out as you blush inadvertently, leave it up to a kid like this to put your integrity on the line. Damn kid, thinking of something like that when you just asked if he wanted to see your ship? Oh, you guess you get it, you did see how it could be construed as a bit perverse but you really had no intention of it sounding like that! 

“Tch. Whatever, fine old man, let’s go see your huge ship then.” The kid continued after seeing your face was slightly red, and smirked a bit, kids these days were really something else. 

“What! No, that's not what I meant kid! You’re the perverse one thinking things like that.” You stammer a bit, feeling a bit flustered at the fact that a kid just made an inadvertent innuendo and you let it fly right over your head. 

“Anyways, follow me, and by the way, y’know you never gave me your name, kid.” You tilt your head, gesturing for him to follow you, while the kid slides off the barstool, and warily begins to follow you at a distance. 

“Even if I tell you my name, which I should not, you’re just gonna keep calling me kid aren’t you?” The kid scoffs, but after looking back at you he sighs. 

“The name’s Ruse, not kid. Ruse D. Argenti.” 

Oh. Oh fuck.  
\---

Ruse POV

As you were following the red haired man known as ‘Shanks’ which was a very strange name, but you really couldn’t judge with a name like Ruse, you noticed that he seemed relaxed, but also taunt. As if he were ready for battle at any given moment, which being a pirate, he probably was. Speaking of pirates, how the hell were you supposed to know who the Red-Hair Pirates were? You really could care less about ranking and popularity, which is why you hardly ever looked at the news coos unless they had something about you. Mainly things about trouble, ok, always things that included trouble. What could you say? You were just a magnet for it really. But going back to the point, you could have sworn the name seemed familiar to you somehow, maybe they were in the new coos before? Who cares, too much thinking hurts your brain. Especially if you hadn’t eaten yet. Which thanks to Shanks, you haven't’. In all actuality if you didn’t get food soon, you might as well eat him. Since he was the cause of your misfortune currently. You shook your head at the thought, cannibalism was bad Ruse. Even if the person you want to eat was a complete pain in the ass, you couldn't eat someone, it was inhumane.  
You laugh as you internally monologue and then look back at the redhead. He seemed to be deep in thought about something, and you honestly didn’t know what in the seven hells this man was thinking about so hard. 

“What? Cat got your tongue or something?” You taunt, seeing if he was listening to you.  
He jolted out of thought and narrowed his eyes at you, seemingly cautious for some reason. 

Why? You were a 16 year old thief who stole from marines and pirates alike, you had weird eyes and stupid white hair, but honestly you aren't that scary. And yet this man seemed to be cautious around you all the sudden. You pause, quickly planning out feasible escape routes in case something went wrong, but as you were scrutinizing your situation, you realize the red haired man was watching you. His steely grey orbs gazed at you, and you froze. He knew what you were doing? So quickly too, scary. You stare right back at him, sweat dropping slightly. This man was seriously weird. And you really didn’t know why, but you felt like he was dangerous. Like a predator watching its prey, his steely gray eyes stare right through you. 

“You said Ruse D. Argenti didn’t you kid?” You nod, waiting for him to continue. 

“Impossible. You shouldn’t know that name if you don’t even know who I am, much less the rest of the news around the world.” He says to you in return, voice low and taunt with thinly veiled anger. 

“Why the unholy hell should I not know my own name? Sure my parents just left me on someone’s doorstep like a goddamn early Christmas present with no return address, and they’re probably dead or happier without me in their lives, but y’know I really don’t see how that’s any of your business you intolerable red haired idiot!” You were losing your patience, first this man had insulted you about running from home like a snobby brat, then he assumes you’re illiterate or something for not keeping up with the news, and now he’s saying you’re not who you say you are? With a name like Ruse you sure as hell weren’t nearly as crafty as you wanted to be, your emotions often clouding your judgement, like right now. This situation made your blood burn, and you were ready to give this redhead idiot a right hook to his pretty face. 

“You….truly. Aye, I suppose you really don’t know do you? Ruse.” The man replied to you, seemingly calmed down from his prior anger and shock. You? Not so much. You were very much confused on what was going on, and hadn’t a clue what he was talking about.  
“I really don’t get what you’re trying to say Shanks, but I’d appreciate it if you were to tell me outright instead of tip-toeing around it.” You let out a sigh of frustration as you look back at him. “Well? Enlighten me.”  
\--  
Shanks POV 

How were you supposed to explain to the kid that they were announced as dead to the world? And really, why were you the one person designated to deliver the news to him? Might as well just jump straight into it, you weren’t exactly the subtle type. 

“Look kid, you’re not supposed to be alive right now, in fact you were announced dead when Rogers was executed.” You let out a deep sigh as you continue, making the kid wait to ask questions till after you are done, you hold up your hand, shushing him efficiently. 

“You’re the kid of Rayleigh Silvers, and the world thinks you’re dead. When Rogers handed himself in, you were a wee lad then, only 3 or 4 maybe at most, but he had a kid around the same time as Silvers, and the marines rounded ‘em up, executed any children within the age for ‘em. And you, Silver’s kid had been labeled as 'terminated’ as well as any kids born under Roger’s namesake. They didn’t want ‘bad blood’ as they say to spread around the world. So Silvers and Rogers both ended with their lineage, or so they say, they were supposed to. Rogers' kid is alive to this day, and by the gods, so is Silver’s. If both of you are alive, then that surely proves the will of D burns stronger than ever kid. To imagine, both their sons, alive and kicking to this day, what a surprise, aye?” You look at the kid, disbelief and amusement written across their face, and aye was that something. His pure white hair, his golden eyes, you knew that they seemed familiar somehow. You chuckle at the thought of it.

You smirk as you remove your hand from his mouth, and quirk your eyebrow, ready for the torrent of questions to come from the kid. “Alright now commence the questions, shoot ‘em at me kid.”

A long silence stretches out, and you tilt your head, puzzled that the kid had yet to speak. Then you hear a soft sigh and the kid stares at you for a long time before he opens his mouth, “Actually, I’m a girl.” The kid says, looking into your eyes, and you blink. 

What?  
\---


	5. Chapter 5

Ruse POV

You chuckle before trying to maintain a straight face as the red haired pirate looks at you in shock. How were you supposed to know that he thought you were a boy? Well, you may have worn your clothes on purpose to misconstrued your gender, but it’s not like you were trying to deceive anyone, really. You snort in a very unlady-like way, well, not like anyone really cared to find out much about you before, so no harm no foul. 

“You’re a girl then kid?” Shanks questions, clearly trying to make sense of the predicament, and you nod to him. He seems to be thinking about something as his steel eyes narrow in concentration. 

“I mean, if you don’t wanna take my word for it, you want me to prove it?” You snark, raising an eyebrow in mockery, before grabbing his hands roughly, dragging them towards you. 

“Here, this should prove enough for ya, superstitious redhead idiot.” His hands now rest on your chest, your own encircling his, as you smirk at the man. 

“The hell?! Kid! That’s indecent, y-you can’t just do something like that without warning someone!” He stammers out, face tinted red in embarrassment.  
You shrug as you let him rip his hands away from you, and you reach your arms out in a wide stretch, letting out a yawn. 

“I’ll remember next time to let you know then.” He lets out an exasperated sigh as you grin at him. 

“So where’s this ship of yours? We’ve been walking around for hours, and I’m way too hungry to take another step.” You whine, over exaggerating slightly, because yes, you are rather hungry, but Shanks doesn’t need to know that you were half-serious about what you said, god forbid he teases you again. Stupid idiot with his stupid smirk. 

“We’re actually right about to see her, if you can’t walk I can carry you lass.” He teases, arms outstretched for you, like hell were you gonna let him carry you. You snarl at the offending limbs, and shove past him roughly, as you look around to find his ship. 

You can hear him grumbling as you walk ahead, probably complaining about ‘kids these days’ even though he wasn’t much older than you were, maybe 5-6 years with his youthful appearance. But that’s men, stupidly hypocritical most of the time. 

As you make your way to the docks, you let out a surprised gasp. What a beautiful ship. She clearly was well taken care of, wood polished, decks scrubbed from stains, her sails were pulled in but they were silky smooth, a jolly roger insignia on the flags. You stare, taken aback by the beauty of the ship, she was definitely something to be proud of. You turn back to Shanks, and cross your arms, a pout half-formed behind your muzzle.  
“Alright Red, you win. She’s definitely a gem.” You sigh, already feeling a bit bitter that he had such a lovely ship, while you only had your trusty dinghy.  
“Aww lighten up lass, you can’t win ‘em all.” He chuckles as he ruffles your white mane of hair, mussing it playfully. 

“Tch. Whatever, mine’s still pretty good for what she is.” You argue, blushing slightly at his proximity. 

“Let’s see her then! Lead the way lass, I’m all yours tonight.” He teases back, nodding at you to lead him to your boat. 

You groan, but lead him to your coated dinghy anyways, listening to him talk eagerly about his ship, crew and adventures he’s embarked on. You sigh, wistful for an adventure and for a crew like his, but then you shake your head. No need to think thoughts like that, you’ve always been by yourself, and that’s the way it would stay. 

“Here she is, in all her glorious beauty, might want to watch your step, Moonflower is a bit older than your gem.” You warn him, grabbing his arm to avoid him stepping on a loose board. 

“She’s coated? Ha, that’s clever, though I’d like to know where you got her done at...most don’t see coated ships around here, they’re usually in the Grand Line, which I’d reckong you haven’t ventured.” Shanks looks at you, brows drawn together in thought. 

You frown before smirking at him, “Well, lucky for me, someone was kind enough to let me take a couple of barrels from their ship, and I was pleasantly surprised by what was in ‘em.” 

Shanks looks at you before laughing loudly. “Ahahaha, that’s Silver’s daughter for ya. You seem like you’ve been doing this for a while though, don’t you ever get tired just sailing by yourself kid?” He asks, playful mood now somber, looking at you with thoughtful grey eyes, you stare back at him before chewing your lip. 

“Never really had anyone around. Much less stuck around after I did my business.” You mutter, looking around, trying to find anything to look at besides Shanks. You’d rather not see his pity, you had enough of that from back at home. 

“Ruse.” His voice is low and steady, and you lock eyes with the redhead pirate, alerted that he called you by name instead of ‘kid’ or ‘lass.’ 

“I was serious before y’know.” He continues, as you tilt your head in confusion. “Joining my crew.” Your eyes widened, he really wanted you to be a part of his crew? His family? How? Why? Why would he want someone he barely knew, someone who was clearly a lot of trouble, distant and hostile, someone like you, to sail with him? 

“Why would you want someone like me to travel with you? You barely know me. For all you know I could be an assassin or something.” You growl, averting your eyes from the stupidly ignorant pirate in front of you. 

He chuckles as he grabs your chin gently, forcing you to look at him. 

“It’s a gut feeling. Call it instinct.” You frown but before you can complain about his child-like reasoning, he continues, leaning closer to you, one hand resting on your muzzle straps.  
“Ruse. You’ve been alone long enough don’t you think?” As he says this, he carefully pulls down the leather, easing your muzzle down your face. 

“You can stop now. I’ll take care of you, you don’t have to be alone anymore. Join us, kid. You won’t regret it. I promise.” He says softly, and as he finishes his declaration, you feel the muzzle fall loosely from your face. His fingers stroke your jaw, just as gently. Your skin burns, it feels like it's been lit ablaze, not having felt someone else touch in so long. You whine, and lean into his warmth. 

“Promise?” You ask, your golden eyes tearing up, emotions overwhelming you like a tidal wave of confusion and longing. 

“I promise.” 

As you lean into the redhead, you can feel wetness seeping down his shirt, was it raining? You look up at the sky, confused. 

Not a cloud in sight, you realize the dampness was from you, your eyes stung, itchy and swollen. You were shocked, having not cried in so long, and you smile softly. Damn this pirate for being so kind and caring to you. Damn him to hell.  
\--


	6. Chapter 6

Shanks POV 

You were astounded, lost for words after you had pieced together this girl, wild and untamed, free as the wind across the sea, had been dealt such an unlucky hand. She, very clearly not a lad, as the kid had proven to you, smug bastard, was lost. She didn’t know who to trust, where to turn to, and you sympathize with her feral, willful nature. You too had loved and lost. Which is why you knew, from the first moment you met the golden eyed girl, that she needed a place to call home. And by hell or high water, you were going to make sure she would. 

“Ruse.” Your voice is low and steady, as you look at the kid, contemplating your words before you continue. 

“I was serious before y'know.” You pause, giving her time to piece together what you were hinting at. “Joining my crew.” Her golden eyes widen, before she looks away from you, eyes downcast. Your heart aches slightly as you reach out to her.  
“Why would you want someone like me to travel with you? You barely know me. For all you know I could be an assassin or something.” She murmurs, looking away from you again, and you sigh softly.  
“It’s a gut feeling. Call it instinct.” You quip back playfully, before continuing. 

“Ruse. You’ve been alone long enough don’t you think?” As you speak to the golden eyed girl, you gently lean in, slowly loosening the straps on her face, her muzzle becoming loose. 

“You can stop now. I’ll take care of you, you don’t have to be alone anymore. Join us, kid. You won’t regret it. I promise.” As you declare this to her, you grip the last straps from the device on her jaw, and let it fall, muzzle now loosely dangling around her neck. 

“Promise?” Her voice is warbled, thick with hesitation and longing. 

“I promise.” You smile as you stare back at her, her golden orbs tearing up, and she leans into you, eagerly seeping your warmth. A slight dampness stains your shirt as you card your fingers through her thick white mane, and she looks around, confused. You chuckle softly as you realize she was thinking it was raining, before she shots a half-hearted glare your way. You smile as you pull her closer, this kid wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.  
\--  
“Hey Shanks?” Ruse questions, her body still pressed against yours, warm and solid. 

“Mhmm kid?” You answer back, combing your hands through her hair, soothingly. 

“Won’t your crew try to kill me?” She asks, her voice laced with amusement and slight hesitation. 

Ah, you forgot about that. Your crew did see the girl pull a knife on you, and she did call them a merry bunch of idiots… well, you suppose bygones will be bygones. After all, she was Silver’s kid, so you figured they would be able to warm up to her pretty quick.

“I think you’ll manage just fine, kid.” You chuckle as she glares at you, before you notice that where her muzzle used to be placed, is now an expanse of smooth skin. A scar runs from each of her lips, as if her smile had split open her lips. You frown before leaning in to get a closer look. Ruse jolts back, not expecting you to sudden be so close in proximity to her. 

“The hells Shanks?!” She shouts, trying to lean back but you had captured her arms, preventing her from running away. 

Your eyes narrow as you see the scar running from both sides of her lips, carved into her skin, too curved to be caused by an accident or a nasty blunder. 

“Did someone do this to you?” Your voice is low and heavy, taunt with restraint, rage burning through your mind. How could someone carve up a kid? And the marines think pirates are bad? How was the world supposed to think people like him were scum when there were people like that existing in the world, scarring up kids? 

You tone down your anger, trying to reign it in after seeing the look on Ruse’s face. She fiddles with her muzzle, nervously scratching at her cheek.  
“Yeah well, people don’t really like to look at something like that, so I covered it up. Hence this stupid thing,” She gestures at her muzzle, and continues, “Nobles are fucked up. They see a street rat that stole some bread from the market, and then they take justice in their own hands.” She drawls, voice flat and even, a pinch of resentment seeping in. “Well, in this case they put their hands on me. Gave me a nice and sound beating, but I was a kid, and I was hungry. And really I could give two shit’s if they beat me. I did it again, and again, till they caught me. They made sure to teach me a lesson I wouldn’t forget.” She laughs bitterly. “Slashed me from lip to lip, saying that they couldn’t waste their food on a street-scum’s mouth, preaching that I was trash, only allowed to live humbly by them royal bloods.” She sneers, as she continues, “So later that night I slit their throats from vein to vein and I fled town. Figured I could at least do that shitty village the favor of cutting down some noble-scum before I left.” She smirks at you, her face scrunched up. “Still want me to join your crew?” She chuckles, fiddling with her muzzle, body language defensive and ready to flee. 

You smirk, rage still boiling in your blood, but simmering down as you lean down to ruffle her hair.  
“Now I know you’ll fit right in, kid.” 

She looks back at you, her eyes wide in shock, as she cocks her head.  
“Wow, and here I thought you’d tell me to turn tail and leave. Well, Idiot Captain, let’s go meet the crew. And please tell me you have some food for me.” She grins at you, her smile wide and cheerful, and you shake your head in amusement. 

“Aye, let’s get going then lass.”  
Kids really were something else. 

\--


	7. Chapter 7

Unknown POV 

The Silver Fang strikes again! You glare at the wanted poster, teeth gnashing fervently. How could someone like this scoundrel really be worth this many berri? They were just a kid, their golden eyes gleaming with fire, a snarl on their face. A leather muzzle was stained with blood, their hair covered in mud, white turned into a murky brown. You couldn’t believe that this kid was causing this much trouble, and had yet to be found. You’d find them. And when you did, they wouldn’t know what hit ‘em. 

You glare at the poster before stabbing it into the wall, next to the other four posters of them. It truly vexed you, being someone of your ranking, and having never seen Silver Fang before in person. You scoff, they really were like oil on water, always giving the slip of anyone that tailed them.

You growl as a snail transponder starts to ring. Briiing. Briiing. Briiing. Brii- “What.” You snarl into the transponder. 

“We have word that Silver Fang was spotted. East of Gray Terminal.” A masculine voice echoes back.  
A grin spreads across your face, as you take a drag from your cigar. 

“I’m on my way. Don’t mess anything up.” You smirk, smoke curling out the window.  
You caught the trail of Silver Fang, the vanishing thief of the seas, and you were going to finally catch the slippery bastard. You let out a low laugh as you begin to prepare for your voyage. You would find them, hell, you’d track them to the ends of the seas if you had to. No one, not even the Silver Fang, could escape you once you had their scent.  
\--


	8. Chapter 8

Ruse POV 

You were pleasantly surprised that a large helping of meat and bread were waiting for you back at Party’s Bar. The smell of freshly cooked meat had you drooling, but you wiped it away quickly, looking back at Shanks to see if he had noticed. He didn’t seem to have noticed your salivating. Good. You grin as you practically ran to the bar counter, Shanks already forgotten as you began to scarf down the warm meal. 

“Mmf Shmm ehh remm gossh!” You shout happily to your red haired companion, mouth stuffed full of food. 

“Aye, Makino is one of the best cooks out here, but you might want to slow down and breathe a little, kid.” Shanks chuckles at you, and you nod, trying to not inhale the food and actually savor the meal. It’s been so long since you had a freshly-cooked meal, you really needed that. 

“Mhmm. Much better.” You grin as you wipe off the sauce that spilled on your face, patting your stomach happily. How he even understood what you were saying was beyond you, but you really could care less. 

“Jeez kid, how much can you eat? Got a black hole down there?” He laughs at you, before grabbing your glass of water and taking a swig out of it. 

‘Oi! Captain Idiot, that’s mine!” You growl trying to swipe it back, only managing to grab on to his shirt, as he sniggers at you. Damn redhead pirate with his stupidly long limbs. You pout as he continues to hold the cup away from you. 

“C'monnn Shanks, ya gotta share. Sharing is caring!” You whine. 

“Oh really?” He arches an eyebrow at you, and you nod eagerly. 

“Gimme, gimme.” You reach out again, this time successfully grabbing the cup of water, draining the whole mug in seconds. 

“Ahh. That’s better.” You grin happily as you look over to the redhead. 

He pouts at you, childishly, and drawls, “What happened to sharing huh kid? That’s mean.” You roll your eyes, this man was really too much. You look back at him and smirk. 

“Okay fine, c'mere Red.” You pull him closer to you, roughly grabbing his arms, yanking him down to eye level. He looks at you surprised. 

“Here. I’ll share one with you since you’re complaining so much, damn pirate.” You scowl playfully before gripping his hair tightly, pulling his face closer to yours. 

The redhead looks confused, but you laugh internally, already imagining his blushing face. As you struggle to pull him closer he tries to pull back, which you’re having none of. 

‘Oi, kid-” He starts but you cut him off by roughly shoving your lips to his own. Rough, slightly chapped lips press against your own as you smirk into his mouth. You give him light nip before pulling off, sinking back to your spot on one of the bar stools. 

“There. Now we’re even.” You state, as if nothing happened, before turning back to your plate, licking off the rest of the sauce from the dish. You don’t bother looking back up to Shanks, too focused on the tasty sauce left over, and you hum happily. A fresh-cooked meal really was the best.  
\--


	9. Chapter 9

Shanks POV 

You chuckle as you see Ruse drooling at the scent of Makino’s fresh cooked meal, but you pretend to not notice it, as you see her glance over at you. She smirks, before bouncing into the bar, a grin on her face as she books it to the counter. The rest of your crew is still lazing about inside, some have cards, others are cleaning their guns. You nod a silent greeting, before following the rambunctious teen to the counter. She’s practically inhaling the meat and bread as you sweat drop. She reminds you a little of Luffy, managing to clear everything off her plate in seconds.  
The kid grins, mouth stuffed as she garbles out words that to normal people would be hard to understand, but since you also have a similar habit, and hanging around Luffy so much, you understand what she says. 

“Mmf Shmm ehh remm gossh!” Which you translate to, “Wow, Shanks, It’s really good!” 

You chuckle as you slide into your stool next to her, “Aye, Makino is one of the best cooks out here, but you might want to slow down and breathe a little, kid.” 

“Mhmm. Much better.” She grins as she wipes off the sauce that spilled on her face, patting her stomach happily.

“Jeez kid, how much can you eat? Got a black hole down there?” You laugh at the kid, before grabbing her glass of water and taking a swig out of it. 

Ruse clearly doesn’t like that as she struggles to grab back the mug, shouting at you. “‘Oi! Captain Idiot, that’s mine!” You snigger as you hold the mug out of reach from her, your build is longer than hers, and she pouts at you. “C'monn Shanks, ya gotta share. Sharing is caring!” She whines.  
You arch an eyebrow playfully. “Oh really?” She nods eagerly before holding out her hands, motioning for you to fork over the drink. “Gimme, gimme.” 

You chuckle as you left her take the mug, and she drains it all in seconds. You pout childishly and throw her your puppy-dog eyes. “What happened to sharing huh kid? That’s mean.” She rolls her eyes at your antics, clearly unimpressed. 

“Okay fine, c'mere Red.” She drawls, pulling you closer to her and you pause, confused at what she’s trying to accomplish. 

“Here. I’ll share one with you since you’re complaining so much, damn pirate.” She gives you a mischievous look before gripping your hair tightly, pulling your face closer to her own.

“Oi, kid-” You start, but are interrupted as she drags you much more forcefully than you thought a lass could, and warm lips meet your own. Soft and scarred around the edges, you feel her nip at your lips playfully before she pulls away. What. The. Hell. 

The white haired lass just grins and begins to lick the rest of the sauce leftover from off her plate, humming contently. 

What the hell just happened?

\--

The bar gets eerily quiet, your crew having been eagerly watching the entire conversation unfold. And then you hear a whoop of laughter, cheers shouting out to you and you whirls around to silence them. 

“Oi, lucky Red tonight eh Cap’n?” You hear Benn drawl from across the table, he smirks at you, gunpowder smudging his hands as he makes a gesture. You scowl, your face still slightly tinged red in embarrassment. 

“Never thought he’d have it in ‘em, that’s a spitfire lass for sure!” Another of your crewmates teases. Yassop, his lips turned upwards in a smirk. Wait, he said lass? Did he know all along? Well he wasn’t the best scopes-man without a reason you suppose. You glare at him before turning back to the lass in question. She tilts her head up to you, confused at what the commotion is about. You sigh and then chuckle softly. Lass sure knew how to pick em you supposed. 

“Oi, kid, you just kiss everyone you meet?” You quip at her, as you rest your hands under your chin, adamantly ignoring your crewmates hollering and teasing behind you. 

“Nah, just the cute ones.” She grins at you smugly before sliding her plate across the counter. You pause, mulling her words over in your head. Was she teasing you again? A little annoyed at the fact that she managed to rile you up so quickly, you frown, but grin once more already putting in to motion your counterattack.

“So, just me then, I see. You’ll have to wait a couple years though, you’re a bit young for me still, but I’m sure you’ll grow up as a fine pirate one day.” You smirk as she blushes at you. So kissing a stranger was no problem, but some innocent compliments made her blush huh? Interesting. 

“Tch. Redhead idiot, as if you could handle all this now, much less when I get older. Nice to know you’re interested though.” She growls, before standing up, scoping out your crewmates. 

“Oi, the name’s Ruse! Your idiot captain wants me to join y’all, but I’m gonna have to run a trial period first, so whoever has a problem, step on up!” She shouts, and your crew look up at you. They can see in her golden eyes, just like you can, that this girl, Ruse D. Argenti was something else entirely. You smirk as you lift your head in acknowledgement towards your nakama. She was fierce, determined little spitfire, and she was as free as the waves in the sea, and what more could a pirate crew ask for? 

Your first mate, Benn Beckman laughs loudly as he stands, lazily making his way to stand in front of her. He easily dwarfed her small stature as he leaned down to her. “That’s a lot of talk coming from someone so ignorant. You even sail lass?” He grins easily, waiting to see her reaction. You tense, waiting for her response.  
\--


	10. Chapter 10

Ruse POV 

“Oi! The name’s Ruse! Your idiot captain wants me to join y’all, but I’m gonna have to run a trial period first, so whoever has a problem, step on up!” You shout, waiting for the Red-Haired Pirates to make their move. Silence falls as a taller man lazily gets up from his spot, rifles slung across his shoulder with a practiced ease. You narrow your eyes as he makes his way over to you, his huge frame easily dwarfing your own. 

“That’s a lot of talk coming from someone so ignorant. You even sail lass?” He grins at you, his brown hair pulled into a low ponytail, brown eyes playful but his posture demanding respect. You scowl as you tilt your head up to meet his gaze head-on. 

“Course I do, I wouldn’t be a pirate otherwise. Idiot.” You voice laced with sarcasm as you glare at him, sizing him up. He looked strong, probably a lot stronger than you, but you figured you could still manage to one-up him at least once before getting your ass tossed. 

He raises an eyebrow at you, before looking over to Shanks who just shrugs back at him. With a movement too fast for the human eye to track, you were suddenly staring at the end of his rifle, cold metal pressed against your forehead. You cross your eyes to look at the offending object, before you fold your arms across your chest. 

“Tch. As if that’s gonna prove anything. Except maybe that you're overcompensating something eh?” You snigger at the man before grabbing the hilt of the weapon, fingers gripping the steel in a vice-grip. 

He looked at you, eyes widening in surprise before he tried to pull it back, but your grip was awfully strong, in fact, almost inhumanly strong, and he couldn’t grapple his gun from you. You could hear a sharp intake of breath from beside you, Shanks was probably worried that your brains were gonna get splattered all over the bar counter. Tch, as if.

You smirk as you continue to hold the metal in your hand. With an agonizing high-pitched screech, you begin to put pressure on the offending weapon, not batting an eye as you continue to exert pressure. Back at home, well what you had considered home, you had always prided yourself for your raw psychical strength. Most of the town kids knew better than to mess with you, they would steer clear of your iron-tight grip. You really didn't know why you were so strong but you had chalked it up to being a scrappy brat that had to watch her back twenty-four-seven, always on guard for anyone that would stab you in the back. Honestly, you figured it was something in your genetic traits most likely. Well... either that or you just had a talent for crushing shit in your hands, whichever way you looked at it, it was something that benefited you. You could really care less about your talent, as long as it kept you alive.

The man immediately rips his gun from your hands, his movement faster than your as he whirls around, yanking the rifle from your hold. 

“The hell?!” He shouts, surprise evidently showing on his face. He looks back at you and you shrug. 

“Might want to keep from shoving your long metal rod into ladies until the second date.” You deadpanned, before snickering.

He looks back at his captain, who is also staring at you, although his lips were upturned in an amused smile. 

“Alright lass, you’ve got me there." The man chuckles as he continues, "Welcome to the Red-Haired Pirates kid. That’s one helluva grip ya got on ya, Captain better be careful.” He wiggles his eyebrows at Shanks in a teasing manner.

Said redhead flushes slightly before straightening from his seat aside yours. 

“Actually, this lass here has more than that to offer. Her name is Ruse." He pauses as if contemplating something before continuing.

"Ruse D. Argenti.” He gives his crewmates a knowing look as they all start to gather around, their faces slack with shock.

Shanks continues. “And Ruse here, needs herself a home while she waits to find the rest of her family.” The redhead grins at you, throwing an arm over your shoulder as you blush lightly at the proximity.

You nudge his arm off and glare at him as you open your mouth to snark back something witty.

“Actually it’s a trial period, so I won’t be calling myself one of yours unless I want to, Idiot Captain.” You scoff, unaware of the rest of the crew watching your interactions with their captain.

You were relaxed, in an open stance that was friendly but not unguarded. Since you had no filter and coped with awkward social situations rather oddly, you had been throwing flirty comments and insults to the captain of the crew. It was as if this were a daily occurrence for you to treat a pirate captain, their captain, with such playful taunting and banter. They sweat drop at the odd familiarity that you had seemed to be unaware that you were emitting with their captain, a bit awestruck at the atmosphere that the two of you had created. The crew blanched slightly but shouldered away any of their uncomfortableness as they all slowly made their way to greet you.

As each crew member introduces themselves to you, you smile slightly. You were actually a little happy that you were surrounded by people for once. People that weren’t threatening you, or chasing you down for stealing from them. These people were different though. They were warmer. Safer. It was a tad ironic that pirates of all things were the people that could make you feel such emotions.

A huge hand grabs yours as someone else introduces themselves to you. He was a man with an eccentric outfit, you had noted. He had a yellow headband tying back his blonde locks and a light pink shirt with checkered trousers that screamed 'Look! Look right here! Here I am!' The man was practically a lighthouse. He had an aura about him that just begged, beckoned for any sorts of attention. You had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn't care if it was good or bad, as long as someone looked at him.

“The name’s Yassop, but you can call me anytime.” He flashes you a grin, more teeth than lip as he teasingly presses a kiss to the back of your hand. Ah, what a perfect gentleman.

You laugh, amused at the fact that he was so boldly showing off his stupidity.

“Ruse, but you can call me never sweet-cheeks.” You grin at him as he feigns a shot to his heart before joining in laughing with you.

He pauses as he leans down closer to you, a knowing look on his face. His breath had been tickling your ear as he leans even more closer into your personal space. “By the way, that was awfully sneaky of you to steal from our Captain. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” He withdraws from your proximity as he winks at you.

You frown before letting out a small gasp. He saw that?

You curse softly before flipping him a certain finger at his retreating form, knowing that he likely had seen the gesture. Ah, but just that wasn't enough. The blonde yelps in surprise, rubbing his back tenderly, whirling around with a look of surprise. With a bark of laughter you watched as he realized the one that had smacked him had been you.

You smile coyly, having had quickly landed a playful smack on his back before the blonde could fully slink away. Hah, seems like two can play at that game, Yassop. The coy smile stretches a tad wider as you flitter your fingers in a flirty fashion.

You had been thoroughly amused with his expressions of mock betrayal and over exaggerated theatrics.

“So, how do you like ‘em so far kid?” A voice drawls from behind you and you startle before realizing it was Shanks.

“Peachy. Thanks for asking, Red. By the way…” You lean back into him a look of surprise on your face, having not been used to such warmth. Your brows smooth out as you smile softly, taking a moment to snuggle a little more into his chest, enjoying the warmth that he emitted. So warm, so comforting, so safe.

Realizing you had gotten momentarily distracted from your previous thoughts, you reluctantly pull back.

“Where am I supposed to camp out at? I didn’t really plan on staying long, so all I have is this.” You say as you gesture down to your outfit. 

The redhead pirate shoots you a lazy grin before pulling you in his arms. “I thought you’d never ask lass. Captain’s quarters?"

You snicker at the thought of you and the redhead in a room together, and shake your head.

“Nice try, but I’d rather room with Lucky Roo than you, no offense.” You quip, and he pouts back at you.

“Fine, you can have the bunker in the lower decks if you want. We’re small enough now that you can have your own space, but if you get too cold or lonely without me, don’t say I didn’t offer.” He winks at you as you shove him playfully.

“Tch. Whatever Captain.” You stretch as you mingle with the rest of the crew, easily talking and laughing with one another.

All in all, maybe meeting Shanks and his crew wasn’t so bad you decided. After all, they didn’t judge you, and no one asked you about your scarred maw, which you were incredibly grateful for, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere with your angsty stories.

You grin as you nudge Beckman and Yassop, talking about their hardest shots, one-upping one another as they recall their adventures together.

After some more mingling and talking, the rest of the crew starts to pack up, making their way down to the docks. You follow lazily behind, matching pace with Shanks. He laughs as he tells you stories about his crew and his journeys through the seas.

You smile as you listen to his tales, eager to hear more. Shanks obliges you, effortlessly weaving stories that make your blood strum with excitement, not even realizing that you had arrived at the docks. You tease him for his love of the color red, seeing a giant crimson ship named 'The Red Force.'

You swore that man was a narcissistic idiot, a grin on your face before shaking your head. And with that, you climb on board, a bit nervous but more excited that you now had a home.

Making yourself comfortable you stretch your legs out, the waves rocking gently below you. The rest of the crew had gathered around, a polite distance away from you as they did the same.

Tilting your head back, you smile softly, looking up at the star-filled sky above you.

Maybe being with other people wasn’t so bad after all.

\--


	11. Chapter 11

Ruse's POV

2 Years Later

You groan sleepily as you are roughly shaken awake by a large hand. A hand that was pulling at your mane of white hair in a rather rough yet playful manner. You growl lowly as you try and swat away the offending appendage, your eyes barely creaked open. You had expected the blue sky and the ocean to greet you, but you were sadly mistaken.

Crimson locks are the only thing in your line of sight, glistening in the morning sunlight. A pair of steely grey orbs peer at you from within the glistening cloak of red.

You let out a pained groan, not looking forward to today one bit.

Dammit to hell.

You absolutely hated this man, how could you ever think you’d enjoy being around that redhead idiot and his crew?

Being around other people was the absolute worst.

“C’mon kid, it’s time to get going, if you’re late you’re not going to get any food.” Shanks voice drawls out, his hands still tugging your hair, and you spring up, fully alert. 

“Food?” You ask, already eager to book your way to the source.

He chuckles as he drapes his large frame across yours. "Oof too heavy! I know for sure you don’t need any grub with that kind of weight.” You groan as you struggle to shove the red haired captain off you.

“Get off idiot!” He only laughs as he moves himself to the side of your cot.

“Ouch, and here I thought you’d love me no matter what. Nice to know you only like me for my pretty looks.” Shanks teases, and you sigh dramatically. 

“You only just now figured that out? Laaaame.” You tease back, wriggling out of your cot and looking back at the man in front of you. 

You were honestly surprised that you were still with them.

You were 18 now. A legal adult. You could leave at any time. Yet, you hadn't. Sure, you were adamantly refusing to be called a part of his crew, but you just couldn't bring yourself to leave. Not yet at least.

After Shanks had invited you to join the Red-Haired pirates and set sail on the Red Force, you admitted that you did enjoy being around them.

Even if the redhead stilled called you a kid.

Lucky Roo, Yassop, Beckman, Rockstar, and the captain Shanks himself.

You had grown to find comfort in their rag-tag team, a comfort that you hadn't felt in such a long time.

The crew had accepted you as one of their own. They had always nagged you to officially join, but you were content with what you had. Practicing your aim with the sharpshooters, clashing swords with others, singing sea shanties, riding the waves. You were happy being with them. But you still had yet to accept your ranking among them, no matter how much they begged. You had profusely refused to be called a red-haired pirate yourself.

You knew that it was childish, likely immature... but you just didn’t want to be labeled as a part of the crew. You didn't want to belong to a crew that you hadn’t formed yourself, knowing that it was something that was trivial to most, but to you it was important. Very important.

If you weren't the one to form the bonds, you didn't feel as if you were able to truly belong. It was weird, likely egocentric, but you'd be damned if Shanks ever thought he was your Captain. Sure, you would call him the title as an endearment, and sure, you respected him...but he was more or less your rival. The redhead probably didn't see it that way, always giving you sass and taunting you with something. He was infuriating at times. Always one step ahead of you, the smug bastard that he was. You refused to let him win by becoming one of his crewmates. Sure, it was childish, but it was one thing you were steadfast and dead set on.

You wouldn't become one of his crew. No, you refused to let him win you over. Instead, you would become a captain of your own digression, and then you'd challenge him. It was a long-term goal, and you were often teased about it...but you were stubborn. You would do it one day, and that was a promise.

Luffy, as you had gotten to know the kid when you had visited Foosha had a similar interest to your own. The little brat had taken to proclaiming to Shanks that he would become the Pirate King one day, like the stubborn little brat he was. You honestly think that the kid could do it, seeing that fire in his eyes. Of course the little gremlin wouldn't be able to reach his goal anytime soon, but after he grew into himself some more he was sure to set some waves in the sea. You weren't too sure if he would reach his goal in the near future, but hey, you couldn't be one to write someone else off. You had your goal and the little brat had his. One thing for sure was that he was most certainly going to reach his ambitions, one day. Who knows? Maybe he would find his own nakama, and prove to Shanks his talent.

After all, the little gremlin was worth risking one of his arms for, so you really couldn’t judge him too soon.

The kid was interesting that was for sure. Little brat had a strong will and was insanely stubborn, sometimes even more so than you. Only problem you had with him was that he was a sneaking little meat thief. Always swiping something from your plate when you were preoccupied, whistling innocently when you asked him if he took your rations. He was a godawful liar, but that wasn't what made your blood boil. That little bastard had an appetite to almost rival your own.

You weren't sure how or why, but Luffy had been dead set on proving that he was the bigger eater of the two of you and you were more than happy to prove the little brat wrong. He had whined and cried and you weren't exactly the most socially aware so you had awkwardly tried to comfort the kid by saying that you would bring him something back from your trips to get him to stop crying. Little bastard had stopped his waterworks in a nanosecond, a grin on his face as he made good on your word. The kid had been smart, making sure to have you promise on your honor. You never knew that he had some sort of brain to him, sneaky little gremlin.

You were positive that if the two of you were left alone then one of you would wind up killing the brat one of these days, sneaky little shit that he was, but you kept your word. Any island you and the crew visited you had made sure to bring a token back for the kid, who was none the happier to receive.

Luffy had shared the same initial as you, which you had asked Red about but he had simply shook his head, telling you that you would find out in due time. Whatever that meant. You weren't too sure, but you were sure about one thing. That kid definitely what it took to make an impact on these seas one day.

Your musings of the little meat thief had momentarily distracted you from your earlier thoughts. Ah, that's right. You had promised the redhead captain that you would set sail to find your own nakama and challenge him. That damn captain wouldn't know what hit him.

But not today. It would be close in the future, yes.

Meanwhile though, you may as well enjoy the time you can spend with them while you're able to.

“Oi, kid, I’m wounded. After all we’ve been through, you make me cry…” The timbre voice of said redhead captain comes from right beside you, effectively throwing your earlier thoughts out the window.

His long and sinewy limbs were sprawled about your cot, stretching like a cat waking from a doze in the sun. You glare at him as you begin to slowly unravel your blankets from around the small bed you had been resting on. The redhead looks at you from out of the corner of your eye, and you know that he had that damn signature smirk of his on his face.

You pretend you don’t see him.

“Well, that’s not anything new. You should grow a pair Red, god forbid your fragile masculinity takes a beating.” You snark back to him, unable to ignore his presence that begs for attention.

There's the beginning of a smirk on your face as you start to banter with the redhead. Grey eyes peer back at you, an easy smile on his face when he leans up from your cot reaching out an arm to ruffle your hair. It had grown fairly long in two years, once only at mid back length, but now sweeping down to your waist. Pure white locks that gathered into a long mane, still as unruly as ever.

You begrudgingly let him card his fingers through your unruly mane, purposefully ignoring the way he laughs heartily.

The two of you begin to talk, words coming easy as you lean in to your companion's warmth. Ah, he really was so warm. It was unfair, having such perseintent body heat. Your own never regulated heat very well, so it was inevitable when you glance at your captain, a sly look on your face.

You snicker when he lets out a surprised yelp when you slide your cold fingers underneath his shirt, seeking warmth from the redhead that had invited himself into your cot. Serves the bastard right, he never had to worry about being so damn cold all the time, now did he?

Your grin falters as a thoughtful look spreads across your face. There was this niggling notion that had been tugging at the corners of your mind, something was bothering you. Hmm, if Red was in here at this time of the day then he likely was- wait a damn minute. What time was it exactly?!

“Oi! What about the food Red?! You distracted me on purpose didn't you? Haa?!” You growl, momentarily forgetting that you were still only half-dressed, conversation long forgotten, clad in only a pair of low-hung gauchos and your chest binder.

Shanks eyes the door to your cabin room, most likely judging the distance and the speed he would need to make a successful escape.

You rise from your cot, towering over your captain. Your golden eyes were glimmering with promises of pain. Sharp and calculating golden orbs trained directly on the redhead that was sharing the same cot. He swallows thickly as you continue to close in on him, a dark grin on your face as you continue to near.

“Oi, oi, let’s be rational here kid!" He pauses, his grey eyes flickering around the room in a frenzied panic. You could swear that you could see a faint sweatdrop beginning to form.

"We’re both legal adults, that can talk this through instead of quarreling eh? Let’s just-” He tries to reason with you before you pounce him. You entangle his limbs with your own, a vice grip locking down on the redhead that was half-wrapped in your bedding. He hadn't had the time to escape from his prior spot when the two of you had been snuggling together before you had figured out his ploy. Crimson locks sprawled across the cot pillow as you relish in the bewildered look on his face, dark grin flashing warnignly when he tried to struggle.

“YOU CRETIN!" You yell a battle cry as you set upon the beast in front of you, ready to devour the bastard deceiver. Shanks tries to wriggle away, pivoting his larger frame away from your smaller one as you grip him firmly in place, a very unmasculine yelp coming from him as his eyes widen in realization that he had messed up.

“You really thought you could distract me Red? Haa- that's so cute.” You growl at him, voice low and laced with sadistic glee.

You hadn't waited for his answer, shoving him further into your cot with that same dark grin. It had never left your face as soon as you had realized he had been distracting you from your beloved food. Damn sneaky bastard.

Shanks chuckles nervously, his eyes darting down before sliding back up, a faint blush on his face.

“Ah maybe we should continue this after you’re dressed though huh kid? Let’s try and be rational. Someone could walk in and think I was taking advantage of you, and you wouldn’t want that right?” He laughs again, a bit more strained. Bastard was trying to negate the situation at hand, huh? Tch. You were having none of that. 

“As if. You’re too much of a pushover, let’s face it. The more important problem at hand is why you didn’t bring some food down with you instead of gloating about it huh? Let’s be rational about that Red.” You growl again, lower this time as he continues to struggle to worm his way out from under your steel caged grip. 

The door swings open as Beckman stands in the doorway, face expressionless. 

"Wait! It’s not what you think Benn!” Shouts Shanks as you snarl at him to be quiet. A low rumbling in your throat as the redhead compliantly obeys. Huh, would you look at that, all that struggling to naught huh Red? You smirk at the captain beneath you before slowly bringing your gaze to the doorway where Beckman stood.

You grin up at Benn, your smile more teeth than lip as the first-mate sweat drops.

“Ah..another time then. So sorry Ruse. I’ll save you a plate up deck.” He quickly murmurs, his posture immediately straightening as he give you a salute.

"Captain." He nods his head in accordance to the redhead pinned underneath you. You see a pitying gaze on his face. He was feeling sympathetic huh? You smirk before narrowing your gaze at him, arching an eyebrow in question at the stare he had given his captain. The grey haired sharpshooter pales, abruptly turning tail and fleeing from the room.

You grin down at the redhead, golden eyes shimmering in thoughtfulness. 

“We’ll leave it at this for now. After all... I wouldn't want to scare you, right? Captain." You purr mockingly as you lean in closer to Shanks. There's a predatory smile on your face when he blinks up at you, likely confused at your sudden change in behavior. You had been a lot less...err...civil moments ago.

"But you better watch your back Red. Ya never know when I'll be feeling...less charitable...hmm?” You smirk as you jump off him, letting him untangle himself from the bedsheets, the rumbling threat made clear.

“I’m starved, let’s get some grub.” You grin, all traces of sadistic glee gone. Instead of a menacing grin, you had your normal trouble-abiding one, all traces of hostility erased. It was almost as if you weren't even aware of it either, an easy grin on your face as you nudged the redhead in your cot.

Shanks looks at you incredulously, awe-struck at the sudden change in moods, but not complaining about it. He much more preferred you to be all smiles and teasing rather than a hungry beast seconds away from ripping him to shreds.

Ruse D. Argenti was something else, that was for sure.

\--


	12. Chapter 12

Unknown POV 

You cursed as you stared at the wanted poster.

Nothing changed from 2 years ago.

The damn Silver Fang was still a phantom, and you hadn't even caught a glimpse of the brat.

You were vexed to high hell that you had traveled all the way to Gray Terminal, and had yet to catch a single trace of the elusive bastard.

2 years and not one bounty change.

The kid was a damn ghost. He hadn't been sighted, nor heard from in quite a long time too, and that just bothered you to no end. How was he able to evade the fleets? The marines had claimed that the damn brat had been sighted near Gray Terminal, but you hadn't seen hide nor hair of the sneaky little bastard. The last sighting was here, but the kid was nowhere to be seen.

You gnash your teeth, annoyance and frustration building as you stare at the snail transponder that had been oddly quiet. Your fellow marines had spotted the brat here, near this wasteland, but the dammed kid had yet to show their face.

You growl as you run a hand through your hair, anger rapidly coursing through your veins. How dare a rookie kid like that get the better of you? How dare they flaunt it in your face? You let out another low growl before sighing tiredly.

You inhaled, taking another drag from your cigar, enjoying the rich tobacco that coursed through your lungs.

You knew the damn brat was around here somewhere, he had to be. You had already made your way around the nearby waters, having no luck. That meant that he was a clever one, hiding from the navy ships that had docked. The kid had to be somewhere nearby, otherwise you would have come all this way for nothing. Well, either that brat was so elusive that you hadn't been able to catch on yet again, or the kid was already offed and you were searching for nothing.

You doubted the latter. After all, you had been trailing after the phantom for 2 years now, there was no way he'd kick the bucket that easily. Not when he had been eluding you for so long.

You were exasperated, knowing that you had to return back to base, and having to come back empty-handed. It was suffice to say that you were more than a little pissed that you wouldn’t be arriving back to HQ with Silver Fang in chains.

You swore again, mood turning even more sour at the familiar trilling of the transponder from atop your desk.

"What.” You grit out, not in the mood for more bad news.

“Sir, you’re needed back at base immediately. Word has it that the higher-ups are doing routine inspections, and-” You curse as you cut off the voice with a low resounding growl. 

“Understood. I’ll be there.” With a click you hang up, not bothering to try and listen to the rest of what your fellow officer was trying to say.

A half-lit cigar rests atop your ashtray, having been too furious to enjoy a nicotine rush.

You would be back, that was certain.

When you returned from the routine checks at HQ, you’d be back. Gray Terminal was where he had last been spotted, so you were going to come back here after dealing with the higher-ups bullshit, and you would wait as long as it took.

This time you weren't letting them out of your sights.

Silver Fang was your prey and you'd be damn if you let him sneak past you again.

You’d make sure to give that brat hell.

\--


	13. Chapter 13

Ruse’s POV

\--

After your less than ideal wake-up call from your idiot captain, you had sauntered into the kitchen, a knowing grin on your face. You had left the redhead to his own devices as you started to chow down on the meal left out for you, courtesy of Red's first-mate.

Beckman sat on a stool nearby, giving you a worried look as he watched you inhale the bread and soup that was resting on the counter with an inhuman amount of speed. You chuckled as you met his incredulous gaze every once in awhile when you looked up from your meal.

Yassop was cleaning his pistols on the couch from across from you, shifting his gaze from between you and Benn, a questioning expression on his face.

Lucky Roo and Rockstar were above deck, you could hear their bickering as they manned the ship.

It was almost time to dock soon.

You waved at Beckman, a knowing grin on your face. He nodded in acknowledgment before fixing his worried gaze to the doorway. The sharpshooter was clearly unsure of where his captain was.

You happily munched away at your bread, uncaring of the obvious questioning stares that kept flitting back towards you and the doorway.

“Oi, kid. Rude to leave your captain in distress. You could've helped me out at the very least!” Shanks voice echoes from the hall as he swaggers in the kitchen, looking like a complete mess.

His crimson hair was about an unruly looking as yours, a faint blush still on his face either from exertion or from your previous encounter, who really knew?

He gives a nod in acknowledgment to Beckman and Yassop, looking completely assured in victory. It was a little humorous that he had seemed to have completely forgotten that he had just been utterly humiliated by you minutes before.

You scoff as you finish up your meal, swigging a mug of water from the table. “What captain? All I see is a push-over who should hit the decks soon. You're getting a little heavy there Red.” You drawl as you down the rest of your drink, placing it back on the counter.

Yassop snickers from his spot on the couch and Shanks shoots him a glare. He grins knowingly as he goes back to cleaning his guns.

“Rude. That’s no way to speak for a lady.” Shanks teases you, and you shoot him a glare of your own.

“Lady? Yeah right, that’s a she-beast in human clothing.” Quips Beckman as he ducks quickly, narrowly avoiding the mug that flies at him with lightning speed.

“Haa? Say that again would ya? I didn’t hear ya the first time Benny.” You say sweetly, voice dripping with poisoned honey.

He gulps, before shaking his head and replies, “Nothing Ma'am, just that your beauty surpasses even the Pirate Empress herself!” He sweats nervously, not wanting to get on your bad side so early in the morning.

“Aww, you're too sweet Benny.” You reply, a grin stretching across your face as you sit back down, placated for now.

Shanks chuckles as he slides into the seat next to yours. “So kid, whatcha planning on doing then? You’re 18 now, you’ve got free reign.”

His voice loses its playful tone as he becomes more serious.

“You’re more than welcome to stay with us, but you seem like you’ve got something else in mind huh, lass?” Steel eyes gaze at you, thoughtful and warm.

You sigh as you run your fingers across the counter, trying to piece together your words.

You really did want to stay with Shanks and the rest of the crew, but you couldn’t. You had other goals to fulfill, other missions to accomplish, other nakama soon to be met that were waiting for you.

You sigh again as you rest your head on the counter. Shanks rubs his hand across your hair, fingers carding through your white mane as you ponder.

“I’ll probably part ways with y'all after we get back to Foosha Village. We had first met there, it seems right to part ways there too.” You smile at your redhead companion and your other crewmates who look at you kindly.

Shanks looks a bit saddened at your response but he straightens his posture as an easy grin slides back on his face.

“Well, you’re in luck then kid. We’re headed back there in a fortnight, need to stock up on some supplies, and check in on the town.” His voice is smooth and steady, but you can tell he isn’t looking forward to your departure.

You were fairly close to him, teasing him, constantly demanding his attention, it would be difficult to adjust to life without you around twenty-four-seven, but that was the life of a pirate.

You knew you would see him again after you left, especially since you were determined to gather up nakama of your own to challenge him as an equal.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” You reply, stretching your arms out, still waking up from your sleepiness.

You quirk an eyebrow to your redhead companion as you notice he was zoning out, his eyes trained steadily on the wide expanse of your skin showing.

“Oi! Red haired pervert, my eyes are up here.” You flick him on the nose lightly as you chuckle.

Men truly amaze you sometimes.

He blushes faintly as he coughs and clears his throat. “Aye, I’m aware, just noticing you didn’t bother to get dressed before raiding the kitchen lass.” He teases you as you look down at your attire.

Ah, you had forgotten in the heat of the moment. But to be fair, you had heard food was ready and that was all that had occupied your mind as you raced up to decks.

Your low-slung gauchos were slipping off your hips, and your chest binder was a tad bit too tight as the clothing stretched across your chest. Hmm, guess you needed to buy a new one soon, having aged a couple years meant that your body was catching up with itself.

You grimaced at the thought of having to go and get fitted for a new binder. Clothes were too troublesome, getting fitted for new ones was always bothersome.

“Eh, it’s whatever, not like it’s something you’ve never seen before Red.” You reply, and lean your body closer to the redhead captain. His eyes darken as you get closer to him, keeping such close proximity made the air around the two of you a bit heavy.

You grin before you drop your voice a little lower, “Or haven’t you Red? For someone as pretty as you I would hate to think you're a virgin.” You chuckle as he half-heartedly glares at you.

Ah, Red was too easy to tease.

You grin again, sliding off the stool before making your way over to Beckman and Yassop.

“What a captain huh, boys?” You smirk as you give them a pat on the back before making your way out of the kitchen and to the upper deck. 

You were headed back to Foosha Village, and you were fairly excited. Sure, being with Shanks and the rest of the crew was fun and you always had a good time, but you were ready to prove to the world who you were.

Not just a thief of the seas, but a pirate, a true pirate. One with your own crew and your own legacy ahead of you.

The waves rolled around you as you looked up at the clear blue sky. Sea salt tinging the air, the wind at your back.

You were ready to start an adventure of your own.

\--


	14. Chapter 14

Shanks POV

You knew that this day would come, but you weren’t ready for it to come quite so soon.

Ruse was going her own way in less than a fortnight, and you begrudgingly admit to yourself that you would miss having her around. Her golden eyes filled with mischief, smug smile on her face as she created chaos and havoc. The white maned menace really had grown on you, and you sigh softly.

“Captain your sulking is way too obvious, lighten up a bit. It’s not like you’ll never see her again.” Benn’s voice jolts you out of your thought process.

“Oi, I don’t sulk. And obviously, she couldn’t stay away if she tried.” You grin as you nudge your first mate, who just chuckles in response.

“So, you know that when you let her go into that big wide world all alone, she’ll likely find herself some trouble right Cap?” You nod, a frown on your face as you had already imagined at least a hundred different scenarios that Ruse would somehow get herself into.

An unwanted thought nigglied its way inside your brain, as you furrow your brow. Trouble was something that seemed to follow the white haired menace, but you hated to think about the kinds of trouble she could get herself into. Not to mention that she’s an adult now, legally at least. Which meant that she would have suitors coming out of the woodwork, which you were very much not a fan of.

You were already aware of her growing beauty. Ruse was exotic, down to her unusual colored hair to those golden eyes that just drew people in. You were already aware of her beauty, but others were not, and you would have prefered to keep it that way, but you weren't cruel enough to take away her freedom, even if you had wanted to protect her, to keep her safe from the dangers of the world. Ruse was a free spirit, she wouldn't be caged by anyone.

She had those exotic features, but she also had bountiful curves, ample breasts, and a womanly figure. A figure that was ever-so slowly maturing and blossoming into something ethereal, something enticing. She didn't have the same build as townswomen. No, she wasn't soft and pliable but rather she was sturdy and strong. She had taunt muscles, a figure that wasn't a regular woman's but a woman of the sea.

Strong and unyielding.

She held herself in a way that just drew in everyone's gaze.

You knew that underneath those slender looking arms were a taunt layer of sinewy muscle. Ruse could easily maneuver someone’s body under her own. She could pin someone underneath her with ease, leaving them completely at her mercy.

Hell, she had already proven that fact earlier this morning, you grimace at the thought remembering the way she had pinned you underneath her with practiced ease. Ruse had you under her thumb, quite literally. The way she had look at you had set off a roaring fire that built steadily under your skin, strumming through your veins.

You shifted nervously, recalling the encounter. She had very nearly snapped your ever-so-careful restraint and you shivered to think about the other ways this morning's encounter could have turned out.

Ruse with her scarred lips that were always crooked up in a grin. Plush and a soft pink, just waiting to be bitten. Ah, the kid really had grown up. She wasn't a kid anymore, and you knew that, but you just didn't want to admit it.

She had matured into a fine young woman. Sure, she was by far not a full grown adult, she had a lot to learn still. To experience. To live. But it didn't change the fact that she was still one of the most interesting and beautiful women you’ve met.

Another small frown appeared on your face, your brows furrowed when you sanker deeper in thought.

You growl lowly. Ah, you really hadn't wanted to start mapping out all of those different scenarios.

“Oi, Captain, we’ve got incoming! Looks like it might be one of your friends!” Lucky Roo’s voice shouts out to you from the crows nest.

You look up, puzzled.

Friend?

Out in the middle of nowhere?

You had a sneaking suspicion on who it might be.

“Let me guess, small boat, shaped like a coffin?” You yell back up at him, making your way over to the deck, seeing Ruse sprawled out, catnapping without a care in the world.

You snicker as you step over her being careful not to wake her. Although with your shouting to Roo you were surprised she hadn’t even flinched in her slumber yet.

“Actually, yeah! How’d ya know Cap?” You heard him question in reply but you were too busy making your way to the right side of the Red Force.

You had just spotted a small ship coming towards you and there was a single lone figure sitting atop it. Ominous green lights flickering as the strange raft and figure approached.

Ah, it was exactly who you thought it was.

Mihawk Dracule.

\--


	15. Chapter 15

Ruse's POV 

A rough hand shook you awake again, as you groan. You had thought you could sneak in a little cat nap before having to deal with more trouble, but looks like that was a ludicrous thought.

You swat away the hand as you feel familiar fingers carding through your hair once again.

Ah, Red really needed to stop petting you so much. Honestly, you were tempted to offer to get him a dog with the amount of times he was always patting your head like a tamed beast.

“Oi, Red, I was busy, what do you need this time?” You drawl, voice tinged with sleepiness as you let out a wide yawn, your scars itching a little from the effort.

“Well kid, looks like you’re awake again.” He crooks a lopsided smile at you, his gaze fixed to the horizon as you gesture for him to help you to your feet. 

“Yeah, yeah. What’s the deal? Something happened?” You question as he pulls you to your feet. 

“Well not particularly, just figured you’d want to meet one of my friends.” he chuckles as he says the last part and your eyes narrow.

Friends? With Shanks?

Haa, that was interesting wasn't it?

You arch an eyebrow in surprise, waiting for him to continue.

“Ah, you know since you never heard of my name before I doubt you’d have heard of his, but just try not to do anything too rash okay kid?” he tells you as you smirk lazily at his tone.

So he thought he’d reprimand you before you make a fool out of him, huh?

“Roger that Captain, I’ll do my best to impress.” You grin at him, teeth gnashing as you start to make your way over to where you see a figure ahead.

An oddly sized ship, a little bigger than your Moonflower is towards the right of your ship and it seems someone is sitting atop it. The small ship, more or less a raft you think, is shaped like a coffin, green-lit candles glowing softly.

“Oi! Coffin boy, why don’t you hop on up and we can chat?” You call out before Shanks can hush you.

Ha, take that Red. You throw a smug grin back at him, but he just shakes his head morosely.

“Alright kid, this one's all yours, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” He replies as he makes his way towards the helm of the ship.

What was that supposed to mean? It didn't really bode well with you.

You huff as you look back towards the coffin-like raft is, expecting to see the mysterious friend in question, but the figure sitting atop it was no longer there.

No way...was...was...was it a ghost?

“Red! You can’t be friends with a ghost! They’ll haunt you and steal all your meat!” You shout to Shanks, only slightly terrified at the thought of there being a ghost on your ship.

“That’s really rather offensive. I’m a regular man just like anyone else, but I don’t believe I’ve met you yet.” A deep sardonic voice comes from behind you.

You whirl around, eyes widened in fear, you were only half-afraid a ghost was waiting to pounce you. Truly.

You turn around expecting to meet an apparition, only to be met with a man who was very much not a ghost.

You hoped.

The man was tall and slim, a lithe yet sturdy build. There was a feather plumed hat atop his slightly messy dark hair, pale skin taunt with muscle, a long floral black and red tinged coat and loose pants held up by an encrusted belt. This was a man similar to Shanks' height that was standing before you, a huge sword on his back. His bare chest had glistened with something, a golden crucifix. Odd.

You continue to stare at the man, he seemed to be ethnic. Maybe Spanish? Italian? You weren't too sure, but he was awfully handsome.

But what really caught your attention wasn't his odd attire, nor the giant blade resting on his back, nor his exotic ruggedly handsome features. No. It was his eyes.

The man had such beautiful eyes. His golden colored orbs were similar to yours, although they were closer to an amber color unlike your pure golden ones. They almost looked like honey, you had absently noted. His eyes were a tad bit more angular than your own though. A much more keen gaze, like a predator sizing up his prey.

Overall this man was really rather….

“Hell’s horns, you're actually pretty hot for a ghost.” You state and immediately curse your lack of filter.

Ah, well damn. That was not what you had meant to say, even if it was true. You already knew that Shanks was going to laugh this up, how lovely.

“Ahhh. Wait. Forget I said that Coffin-boy. Pretend it never slipped out.” You scowl as you run your fingers through your hair roughly.

You were cursing mentally, praying but having little faith that the mysterious man would forget your comment. You knew that the chances of that happening weren't very high.

But you were met with silence.

Ah, maybe he really did forget you said something so brash and stupid?

You look over to the man, eyes hopeful.

He was staring at you, and you could see that he hadn't changed his facial expression, but his hand was clenched tightly into a half-curled set of fists. Ah, well it looked to be evident that he did not simply forget you said anything at all. Nor had he taken your follow up sentence with much thought. If only he could just pretend you hadn't said something so stupid, ah if only.

You weren't nearly lucky enough for that, were you?

“Err.. well aside from that, nice to meet you. My name is Ruse D. Argenti, and no before you ask I am most certainly not a part of that red head idiot’s crew, so don’t ask about it. Touchy subject.” You grin as you take another breath, mainly to let the man process what you just said.

“Anyways, what are you here for?” You question him. Your brows begin to draw tight in confusion. He hadn’t said anything since you had opened your mouth, did he have a hearing impairment?

You figured maybe he did, and so you being the outstanding young woman you are, you do what any normal helpful citizen would.

You move closer, placing your mouth next to his ear. It would be much easier to hear this way now wouldn't it? WIth a self-satisfied grin you lean in to the man and begin to whisper quietly so as to not startle him.

“I know you’re probably either in shock right now, or you’re really bad at hearing, so I’m just going to talk like this okay?” As you look back to the handsome man, his eyes dart to your own and he finally shows an expression. His brows scrunch together as he tilts his head, puzzled, a frown tugging at his lips.

“I can hear you just fine. I’m here for a duel but seeing how things are...maybe I should just teach you a lesson first, intolerable woman.” His voice sends shivers down your spine and you gasp quietly, only just now realizing the predicament you put yourself in.

“Oi! Wait, you idiot! I was most certainly not trying to come onto you, even if you are pretty handsome! No, wait! That’s besides the point! You want a duel huh Coffin-boy? I’ll give you one then.” You growl, annoyed at the fact that this swordsmen had got the one-up on you.

You crouch as you see him stiffen. You were more than ready to pounce him and grapple his sword out of his reach, eager to show him that you meant business.

“Red Hair. What are you doing, travelling with a woman like this?” The swordsmen questions your captain-not captain- companion as you see the redhead lean against the wall, having watched your entire conversation play out and not having said a single word.

That bastard!

He starts to open his mouth to speak but you interrupt as you growl lowly at him in warning.

“Oi Red! You say a single damn word about my ‘bad behavior’ and I swear to seven hells I’ll make you wish you were born a woman!” You snarl, venom dripping from your voice as you see him swallow nervously.

“Ahaha, Mihawk. As you can see, there is Ruse. She plays quite nicely with others.” You can see him look over to you, as if making sure that he wasn't overstepping before continuing on.

“And would you look at that mate? It looks like we’ll have to duel another time, a bit preoccupied at the moment.” Shanks sweat drops as you glare back at him before nodding in approval, your earlier rage now subsiding.

“Since when did you roll over for a simple woman? Last I heard you still had your pride, Shanks.” Mihawk -as Shanks called him- taunted your captain.

The rage that had subsided now rose back up again, furious and seeking blood.

“Oi, kid! Don’t-” Red didn’t get to finish his sentence as you already had sprung into action, pure carnal rage taking over.

“Simple woman my arse! C'mere Coffin-boy, let me show you a woman!” You snarl as you leap for the swordsmen, trying to pin him down.

He disappeared from your line of sight as you grappled where you thought he was.

So quick!

You spin around, catching his golden-amber eyes as he looks at you quizzically.

“You’re quite agile for one so loud. Perhaps if you kept your mouth shut you’d be able to inflict some damage.” His sardonic voice taunts you, rich and elegant in a way that prickles your skin in an agitating manner.

Oho, he was one mocking bastard wasn't he?

Another growl follows as you snarl back at the swordsman's taunts.

“Aye, that could be true. But then who would pipe in with the sarcastic comments and lovely altercations? Certainly not you.” You snark back to him, and you see his jaw clench.

Aha, so he wasn’t as impassive as he tried to portray.

Everyone had something that got under their skin, you just had to know what to look for.

Lucky for you, you had an insanely high skill set for that. In fact, it was a trait that you had prided yourself on, being able to get a rise out of nearly anyone.

“You are certainly a brash one.” Mihawk states, as he dodges your fists with ease.

His golden eyes narrow as you stop suddenly, standing stock-still in front of him. You purposefully left your guard open, throwing your arms wide in a mocking manner, as if threatening him to strike you. Baiting him.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Gonna attack yet, or just keep dodging around me? Awfully unmanly of you, running from a fight.” You taunt as he scowls at you.

You grin wickedly.

Perfect he had fallen for it.

He turned on his heel, faster than you predicted, and you turned to meet him head on.

Well, you would have met him head on, but you hadn't expected to feel the cold metal of a monstrous sized sword under your neck. The same metal blade that was now tilting your jaw up to look at him.

Oh.

Oh no.

You hadn’t planned for that to happen.

\--


	16. Chapter 16

Mihawk POV 

You truly hadn’t been prepared for the white haired, golden eyed woman on board your rival’s ship. She was sprawled out on deck, speaking to Shanks, throwing insults and quips at him charmingly. He seemed to take it in stride, and if you were to guess from the familiarity of their postures, you’d say they had known one another a long time. 

““Oi, Red, I was busy, what do you need this time?” Her voice drawls out, low and husky, strangely pleasant to listen to. 

“Well kid, looks like you’re awake again.” Red Hair replies to the strange woman, and chuckles as he helps her stand to her feet.

“Yeah, yeah. What’s the deal? Something happened?” She replies, stretching her limbs, waiting for his reply.

“Well not particularly, just figured you’d want to meet one of my friends.” Red Hair says, and pauses for a moment before continuing.

“Ah, you know since you never heard of my name before I doubt you’d have heard of his, but just try not to do anything too rash okay kid?” he reprimanded the woman, and she scowled at him before throwing him a wide grin. 

“Roger that Captain, I’ll do my best to impress.” What a fiery attitude that one had on her.

You let out a low laugh before straightening.

She approaches the right side of the ship, looking down at you.

You wait for her to recognize your signature raft, to run to hide behind Red Hair but you don’t expect for her to lean off the side of the ship and call out to you.

““Oi! Coffin boy, why don’t you hop on up and we can chat?” You look up at the white haired woman, was she jesting?

Red Hair sighs exasperatedly, as he shakes his head. “Alright kid, this one's all yours, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” His voice is low, but resigned to let his crewmate handle this situation on her own.

Since when did Red Hair travel with a woman anyways?

You always thought his crew was a ragtag team of skilled individuals, but you hadn’t heard of this one before.

“Red! You can’t be friends with a ghost! They’ll haunt you and steal all your meat!” The feminine voice calls out in a yelled-whisper, her eyes widened in fear.

You smirk. Ah, well maybe she was just a bit thick. Even if she was a tad thick, once she saw you and undoubtedly recognize you, she would hopefully stay out of the way like many others had done.

“That’s really rather offensive. I’m a regular man just like anyone else, but I don’t believe I’ve met you yet.” You reply, voice low and dripping with mock charm, ready for the woman to turn around and flee.

What you didn’t expect was to hear her gasp lightly in surprise at your silent arrival, before skimming your appearance with a thoughtful appreciation.

“Hell’s horns, you're actually pretty hot for a ghost.”

You stare at the woman, confused. Why hadn’t she tried to flee from him like many others before her?

The white haired woman blushed before she shook her head, waving her arms out in front of her dramatically. “Ahhh. Wait. Forget I said that Coffin-boy. Pretend it never slipped out.”

You arch an eyebrow at the nickname she had given. Coffin-boy? Really? Did she not know who you were?

Yet she traveled with Red Hair and his crew...who exactly was this woman?

“Err.. well aside from that, nice to meet you. My name is Ruse D. Argenti, and no before you ask I am most certainly not a part of that red head idiot’s crew, so don’t ask about it. Touchy subject.” She continues as you stare at her in silent thought.

Ruse D. Argenti?

Argenti.

That was a familiar name, a name that you hadn't expected to hear of for quite a few years at least.

In your native tongue it had translated to Silver.

You pause, conflicted with the peculiar yet somehow familiar name.

Wasn’t that supposed to be the name of Silver’s daughter?

You had never heard of the first name but the initial of 'D' and the hidden namesake for Silvers had been spoken of throughout the older generations.

Dark King Rayleigh otherwise known as Rayleigh Silvers, the first-mate of Gol D. Roger, had a child that he had lost several years ago and he had yet to give her a name, having been torn away from his child before he had the chance to. But she had perished long ago. If she were alive now you would surely know along with the rest of half of the world.

You had known that the infamous daughter only had her surname of Silvers, but was spoken to have been addressed as Argenti instead of the infamous name of her lineage. It was a wise choice.

It was a name that many of the older generation were well-aware of, but you hadn't expected to hear it again so soon.

The first-mate of Gol D. Roger had been searching for years for a daughter that had, without a doubt, long since perished. There was no logical way that his daughter would be alive today, it simply wasn't possible. There was no way a normal child would be able to survive on her own for so many years.

Yet, as you studied the woman in front of you, you knew. You knew that this woman was exactly who she claimed to be.

She had the namesake, the 'Will of D' and you knew better than anyone what that meant.

The young woman's golden eyes gazed fiercely into yours as you study her.

You had finally started looking at her, not just through her like you would for worms that didn’t have the right to challenge you.

She was wearing a tight leather chest binder as you noted that it looked to be a tad too tight, her cleavage showing in a tantalizing manner, and if he weren’t a better man he’d surely grace her womanly figure a glimpse or two.

Her long mane of white hair hung loosely down her back, tapering off at her waist. You noticed that she seemed to be wearing a pair of low-hanging gauchos, the loose fabric slipping down her hips. She was barefoot, seemingly comfortable in her attire and forgoing shoes.

Golden eyes.

What an interesting color.

They were much richer than your own, seeming to be golden coins that were alit with a burning fire inside them.

No hers were much more exotic than your own strange eyes. Yours were a darker, almost bronze whereas the woman's were pure liquid gold. Her golden orbs glimmered brightly, they were enchanting.

It was as if she held the long sought after buried treasure that those pirates spoke of so often inside her eyes.

The young woman aside from her rare eyes had a deep scar across her face. She had two curved lines running from one lip to the other.

You had observed that it seemed as if her smile had stretched her skin clean open.

No one would be able to blunder themselves in such a manner, training or otherwise. No one would be able to gain those curved scars without a steady and sure hand and the intention to do so.

So she had been marked by someone it had seemed.

How peculiar.

She was a fairly attractive woman, although you weren't quite as interested in her physique as you were with her namesake.

You were far more more intrigued if she truly was Silver’s daughter, or if she had been one that had taken to the name that should not have been spoken of for many years to come. If so, that could make things a lot more complicated for you.

“Anyways, what are you here for?” Ruse -as she declared herself- questions you, brows drawn tight in confusion.

You look back up at her, golden eyes gazing at another pair of golden eyes.

You were momentarily distracted, not realizing she had expected you to actually answer.

As you peer back at her she moves closer to you, her hand resting on top of your shoulder, lips tickling your ear as she leans in to whisper. “I know you’re probably either in shock right now, or you’re really bad at hearing, so I’m just going to talk like this okay?”

Her voice is low and husky, but perhaps that’s how she always talks? You didn’t see why it seems to be oddly pleasant to hear, but you lean away from her, arching a brow at her antics.

“I can hear you just fine. I’m here for a duel, but seeing how things are, maybe I should just teach you a lesson first, insolent woman.” You reply, your voice thinly veiled with annoyance and slight amusement. 

The woman blushes lightly as she evaluates her predicament before she growls at you, “Oi! Wait, you idiot! I was most certainly not trying to come onto you, even if you are pretty handsome! That’s besides the point! You want a duel huh Coffin-boy? I’ll give you one then.” Her eyes glint with anger, eager for a fight.

You’re curious as to why you want to test her, knowing she clearly did not handle swords before as she took a defensive crouch, readying her fists.

“Red Hair. What are you doing, travelling with a woman like this?” You question Shanks, or as you call him Red-Hair, your rival and tentative friend.

He looks over at the two of you, having been leaning against one of the deck walls. The red haired pirate opens his mouth to reply but stops short, eyes widening in surprise as a powerful aura radiates from the white haired woman.

Haki?

“Oi Red! You say a single damn word about my ‘bad behavior’ and I swear to seven hells I’ll make you wish you were born a woman!” She snarls.

It was feral, almost animalistic and you almost think that she looks quite entrancing like that. As an untamed beast, prowling for her prey. You quickly shove the thought from your mind as you turn to face the woman in question.

Her golden orbs are lit ablaze. It looks as if there was a fire burning through those exotic eyes.

You pause, momentarily conflicted.

“Ahaha, Mihawk. As you can see, there is Ruse, she plays quite nicely with others.” He looks over towards you, his arm clenched tightly as he swallows nervously before continuing, “And would you look at that mate? It looks like we’ll have to duel another time, a bit preoccupied at the moment.”

Shanks sweat drops as the woman glares back at him before nodding, her palpable aura of rage subsiding.

Interesting.

You raise your voice to the Red Haired Pirate, taunting him, eager to draw out a reaction from the strange woman.

“Since when did you roll over for a simple woman? Last I heard you still had your pride, Shanks.” This doesn’t bother the pirate as he shrugs, but you were expecting that. It does though seem to affect the woman which you had predicted it would.

She snarls at you, her rage and fury swirling around her once more. You can see her teeth gnashing tightly as you refrain from gripping your sword at the threatening aura she's emitting.

She was truly an untamed beast with the way she had reacted.

How interesting.

“Oi, kid! Don’t-” Red hair tried to warn her as she already sprung into action, muscles tense and posture rigid.

“Simple woman my arse! C'mere Coffin-boy, let me show you a woman!” She snarls as she leaps for you, trying to pin you down.

Her white mane flows behind her, as she crashes into the spot you were just at. She spun around, catching your golden-amber eyes as you looked at her quizzically.

She was actually quite fast, nearly making you have to jump out of the way before sidestepping gracefully.

What an interesting woman indeed.

“You’re quite agile for one so loud. Perhaps if you kept your mouth shut you’d be able to inflict some damage.” You taunt her, voice low and sardonic.

“Aye, that could be true. But then who would pipe in with the sarcastic comments and lovely altercations? Certainly not you.” She snarks back at you and you clench your jaw, a lovely woman indeed.

She smirks as she continues to try and grapple you, but she was not able to catch up completely. You noticed that she was far faster than an average soldier or pirate, but your movement speed was still too quick for her. She would not be able to surpass her limits the way she was now.

“You are certainly a brash one.” You reply, clearly not falling into her verbal trap.

You knew that most men were victims of honeyed words and hers were very much similar to them. That woman's words were even more dangerous though, especially now that she had insults laced in them. It was rather clever yet vexing the way she had aimed to perturb you.

Suddenly the woman stops.

Her movement slowed to a halt as she glares up at you, her golden orbs dark with calculation.

You frown as you try to figure out what she’s trying to accomplish.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Gonna attack yet, or just keep dodging around me? Awfully unmanly of you, running from a fight.” She smirks at you, and you feel your blood begin to boil.

Whether she was a woman or not, she had insulted your pride.

No one insulted your pride.

You weren’t going to stand by and simply allow that.

You swing forward as she dances out of reach, nimble and graceful but she falters as you turn faster than she does, whirling your blade from your back. You smirk slightly, letting the cold metal dig into her soft skin.

She looks at you, eyes widened in apprehension, and you nearly laugh. It was as if she hadn't expected you to react so fast, how naive.

You were one of the seven warlords of the sea, and you were the strongest swordsman alive.

You were Mihawk Dracule, there was no way a simple woman such as this would even be able to reach your feet.

You tilted the woman's chin up, forcing her to meet your gaze as she glared at you defiantly.

Her golden eyes burned with rage, a twisted snarl on her otherwise pretty features.

Two could play at that game.

\--


	17. Chapter 17

Ruse POV 

The cold metal of a blade dug into your neck, forcing you to lift your jaw, glaring at the talented swordsman. His golden gaze locks with your own as you snarl at him ferally. 

“Well? What are you waiting for, Coffin-boy? You have me at your mercy. Do your worst.” You smirk as he stares at you, contemplating. 

The blade digs deeper and you can feel a trickle of blood start to bead around your neck, but you stand tall, unflinching. If this man really thought he could intimidate you into submission with his blade at your neck, he had another thing coming. He frowned at your lack of reaction, probably confused as to why you weren’t pleading for your life right now. You sigh exasperatedly, and begin to move closer towards him, pressing forward, letting the blade shove deeper into your supple skin. More blood began to trickle down, a slow stream, but you continued to press forward. The swordsman flinched slightly as he saw your intention, before cursing softly and withdrawing his blade from your pulse. You can hear the audible swish as he swiftly returns it back into his scarab behind his back.

“You're absolutely insane, kid!” Shanks cries out from behind you as you smirk at the dark haired man in front of you. Ha, must feel pretty nice to lose to a girl who couldn’t even get a hit on you. You wave off your redhead companion as you size up the swordsmen. He is still silent as he stares at you, observing your interaction with your captain. 

“You’re an interesting one, Ruse D. Argenti.” He finally speaks, voice low and smooth, and you grin back at him, golden eyes filled with mirth. 

“I’d say the same to you Coffin-boy, but looks like you’re one of those chivalrous knight types, a shame.” You reply, as you swat Shanks hand away from your neck, more focused on the intriguing swordsman in front of you. 

“Oi, Red, buzz off! I’m busy trying to assert my dominance!” You finally shout, as Shanks pouts at you, trying to wipe the blood from your skin with a washrag. You shoot him a half-hearted glare before grinning at him. 

“Aye, kid just trying to make sure you don’t bleed out all over my freshly scrubbed decks. Don’t mind me.” He replies sarcastically and you gasp before knocking your fist into your open palm, eye wide in mock surprise. 

“Aha! I know! You’re jealous you're not getting enough attention huh Red?” You coo towards him, eager to make him flustered. You succeed as you see his face start to tint with a slight blush before he scowls at you. 

“See if I help you out again Ruse. Clearly I’m not needed here then, I’m headed to the kitchen.” He snips back at you, obviously riled up. You grin as you call out to him, “Oi Red-” He waved his hand as he continued onwards, “And no, I’m not saving you any leftovers. Find some for yourself kid!” You pout as you glare at his retreating figure. 

Golden eyes look back up at you as you scratch your cheek apologetically.  
“Sorry Coffin-boy, got a little distracted there. Now, what can I do for ya then?” You smile at him, prior fight already forgotten. He stares at you, before glancing down at your attire once more. You feel like you should say something so you shrug noncommittally as you continue to talk.

“Yeah I know, I should get myself some new clothes soon, these ones are a bit of a stretch on me now, I mean I have had them for over two years. A wee bit stretched thin.” You grab at the binder as you try to wiggle it around, to no avail. You look back up at the swordsman as you continue, obviously not expecting a response from him.

“Soooo…?” You drawl out, prompting him to speak his mind. He makes an indistinguishable noise as he averts his eyes from where your hands rested prior. 

“You certainly are an interesting one Ruse D. Argenti. And my name is Mihawk, not coffin-boy, but I doubt you’ll be able to remember that.” He replies, leaning against the wall across from you. 

“You’ve got such an attitude, maybe someone needs to get laid.” You chuckle as you tease the man who narrows his eyes at you. 

“I don’t believe that’s any of your business Argenti. You’re with Red Hair of all people, I sincerely doubt you have room for judgment.” He quips back, bristling slightly.

Red Hair? Shanks? He thought you were- you blush darkly as you wave your hands in front of you. 

“Oh nononono, that’s absolutely not what you think it is Coffin-boy. Red is...he’s not...we’re not like that.” You squeak out in embarrassment, covering your face. 

“You mean to tell me Red Hair is not your lover?” Mihawk asks you, brows drawn together in confusion. You nod, unsure why he was so interested in that, before remembering that this person is one of his rivals, friends, something of the sort.  
A small grin appears on his face as you look back at him, realizing wow, this swordsman was actually fairly attractive, aside from his attitude earlier, he was quite handsome, in a rugged roguish kind of way. Smooth skin, taunt muscles that flexed slightly when he moved, dark messy hair, piercing gold eyes- piercing gold eyes? You snap out of your trance as you blush lightly looking back at the man in front of you. You absolutely were not checking him out, what? 

“Interesting.” He replies, voice a sardonic timbre. You tilt your head, confused but listen with avert attention as he continues. “So Argenti, you’re telling me then that you’re just a crewmate to Red Hair then?” He asks and you begin to nod before shaking your head. 

“No! I already told you I’m not a part of his crew, we’re just traveling together. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love them all to death, but I’m my own person. I have no interest in becoming a part of his crew, since I need to gather up one of my own to challenge him on equal footing.” You reply, crossing your arms, a small pout on your face as you explain to him how you met Shanks, and why you were traveling with the crew up to now. He nods as he listens to you retelling your adventures with the Red Haired Pirates, smiling softly at some parts and frowning slightly at others. 

“So yeah, that’s why I’m here. How about you, Mihawk?” You use his name for once, and his golden eyes glitter at you pleasantly surprised to not hear you calling him ‘Coffin-boy.’

“Well, as you know, Red Hair and I go way back, and we often have friendly duels, as I was supposed to today, but you seemed to have other plans for that.” He smirks at you, and you scowl, it wasn’t your fault he had such an attitude when you had first met, he could have tried to be a little more civil too. You murmur out a half hearted apology as he grins softly, finding your actions rather adorable. He quickly recovered his stoic impassive look as you glance back up at him, sticking your tongue out childishly.  
He most definitely does not let a laugh slip out at your childish antics. 

You grin at him as you relax in an easy-going posture, guard open, trusting him enough to not stab you when you turned your back. He surprisingly also relaxed a little, and you listened as he began to tell you about his legacy of being one of the greatest swordsmen alive. Mihawk was surprisingly easy to talk to after he had warmed up to you, and you could have sworn he smiled softly as you exchanged similar stories, but he swore that you were imagining things. As you talked with the dark haired swordsmen, you hadn’t even noticed when the sun had begun to set, too immersed in your conversation to pay attention to the day changing to night. 

“Ah well Argenti, it was truly a pleasure to talk with you. You’re really an interesting woman.” Mihawk’s timbre voice rumbles from next to you, and you smile back at him. 

“I could say the same to you, Mr. Greatest Swordsman Alive.” You tease as you nudge his shoulder, a playful tone in your voice. 

“Oi kid! Ya still out there? I figured you’d be busy stuffing your face right now-” Shanks voice calls from behind you, down the hall. He stops as he takes in the scene in front of him. You were sitting comfortably, shoulders rubbing against Mihawk's, as he smirks at the redhead captain discreetly wrapping an arm around you back, as you laugh at something he had whispered in your ear. 

The red haired pirate scowls as he looks at you, cozying up to his rival, who was looking quite pleased with himself. With an annoyed growl he places himself in front of you, and with a dramatic sigh, he plops into your lap undignified. 

“Nevermind, kid. Looks like you’re busy...leaving me all by my lonesome, how rude.” Shanks drawls, a teasing lilt in his voice.

“Oi Red, you could’ve just called for me if you were that desperate for attention.” You smirk as you card your fingers through his crimson locks. His hair was surprisingly smooth for looking so rugged all the time. He groans as he shifts, turning his body into a more comfortable position. 

“Red Hair.” Mihawk nods in acknowledgment towards the redhead plopped in your lap. 

“Mihawk.” Shanks greets back. 

A tense silence hangs in the air, and you’re unaware of the two eyes locking, a silent rivalry sparking. 

“Well, if there’s any leftovers, I’m gonna have to take ya up on that offer Red.” You reply to Shanks as he sits up from your lap, hair mussed, an easy-going grin on his face. 

“Aye kid, I’ll meet ya in the kitchen after I get finished talking to Mihawk here, you can go on ahead.” He nods at you, letting you shrug out of his hold, and you stand up, stretching before throwing a look over towards the swordsmen. 

“Well Coffin-boy, it was nice meeting you. Feel free to swing by whenever you want, maybe I’ll catch you at Foosha, either way, don’t stay away for too long.” You wink playfully as his golden eyes darken, and he tilts his head in agreement. 

“Argenti.” He nods as you grin back at him before throwing your arms around the stoic swordsmen, gripping him in a tight hug, he pauses, arms at his sides, unsure of what to do with them. Shanks glares, but your back is turned to him, so only Mihawk sees, as he smirks at his rival before wrapping his arms around you, returning the hug. You smirk into his chest as you think, maybe this stoic swordsman wasn’t so impassive as he tries to portray.

“Alright Red, see ya in the kitchen!” You laugh as you make your way down the halls, unaware of the two sets of eyes that follow your figure as you walk away.  
\--


	18. Chapter 18

Mihawk POV 

“Long time no see Red Hair.” You look up at Shanks, who was giving you his signature lop-side smile. He chuckles as he nods at you, throwing an arm around your shoulder, grip tight, almost crushing. 

“Ahaha, nice to see you as well Mihawk. Seems you were getting along well with my Ruse, huh?” He laughs, but the pressure on your shoulders says otherwise.  
You arch any eyebrow at him, “Your Ruse huh? As far as I could tell, she’s her own woman Red Hair.” He glances over at you, an easy-going smile sliding off his face as his steely gaze hardens, he drops his facade. 

“Aye, since she’s with me right now mate, I don’t see how it’s any of your business.” His voice flat, removing his vice-grip from your shoulders as he leans back, propped against the wall. 

“Ah. Well, it’s not really. Just curious. I didn’t know Silver’s had a daughter, much less one that was alive.” You reply, sliding a bit further away from the red haired pirate, maintaining a distance. He cocks his head towards you, a questioning gaze on his face. 

“She told you huh? Well, with her name being so iconic, maybe she should try and lie low for a bit. Wouldn’t want marines on her tail right after she left the nest.” His steely grey eyes gaze at you knowingly. 

You smirk slightly before slipping back into your stoic nature. “Well, they won’t hear it from me. After all, she’s rather interesting.” You nod at Shanks, before continuing.  
“I best be on my way then, hope you keep your friends close to you, Red Hair.” After shooting him a knowing look, you stride across the deck, and leap over the edge to your raft. 

“Oi! Mihawk!” You turn, Shanks shouting at you as you prepare to leave.  
“You should do the same. If she runs into trouble, and I’m not there, I expect you to know what to do.” You frown, not quite sure what to make of what he said. With a nod, you turn back to your raft, not having dueled with your rival, but instead meeting a new kind of rival, you chuckle as you adjust your blades, and begin to steer your raft away from the Red Force. You were ready to set sail.  
\--  
Shanks POV 

You watch as Mihawk leaves, his coffin-raft drifting out to sea, disappearing in a mist, leaving only the faint glimmer of green-lit candles in their wake.  
“Oi, kid! You better have left me some meat!” You call out as you make your way down to the kitchen, not even shocked anymore at the sight of Ruse sprawled across the counter, her face stuffed full, trying to shove more in as she tested her limits on how much she could cram in her mouth. You chuckle lightly as you watch the white haired girl struggle with her portioning skills and finally decide to help her after she flails around a bit more. 

Sliding a mug of cold water towards her she waves in thanks before turning towards you.

“Ah thanks Red, I needed that.” You nod as she drains her second mug, a small smile on your face. 

‘So, how’d you like Mihawk then kid? Everything you dreamed of?” You snicker as she glares at you before she sighs and plops her head on the counter, groaning. 

“Well, I could say it better, but he wasn’t the worst guy. After he dropped that attitude of his, he was actually pretty decent. Wicked fast with those blades of his though, scary.” She shivers and then looks up at you, eyes eager as she perks up. 

“Red! Tell me about your duels! I only heard his side, but I know you wouldn’t lose that badly all the time, right?” She teases as you frown, clearly not remembering losing against the dark haired swordsmen, but you shrug and proceed to tell her your tales of Mihawk and your rivalry. Might as well have two sides to the same coin, after all, couldn’t hurt much. 

As you continue to tell the white haired menace about your ventures you notice that she has stopped asking so many questions, only chiming in occasionally with a verbal quip or a comment on ‘chivalrous honor.’ Deep breaths sound from her, her head having been resting on the counter and you smile. Damn kid falling asleep on you. You gently move her head to your shoulder, letting her rest on something more comfortable, and if you started to lace your fingers through her hair, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple, well, no one would see you anyways.  
\--


	19. Chapter 19

Ruse POV

You awoke to the waves gently rolling under you, your chest nuzzled snuggled against another body. Your nose is tickled by a vibrant lock of crimson hair, as you grin tiredly. Shanks was wrapped around you, no longer resting in the lounge, instead in his quarters, tucked against a larger cot, blankets wrapped around the two of you. You scoff, laughing lightly as his sleeping face, a small lop-sided grin on his lips, murmuring something incoherent before he pushes further into your embrace, seeking warmth. What a captain, you sigh as you card your hands through his unruly red locks, waiting for him to awake. 

“Morning brat.” You hear him grumble, voice husky with sleepiness as you shove him, grinning lightly. 

“Morin Captain Idiot.” You reply, earning a chuckle from said idiotic captain, helping you to your feet from his bed. 

“What’s on the agenda today huh Red? We’re about two days out now from Foosha.” You ask, eager to hear his response. 

“Well..” He drawls, leaning against the door frame, “I’d figure you would be eager to jump ship, but not this eager.” He teases you as you scowl, you really did enjoy his company, along with the rest of the Red-Haired crew, but you did need to eventually leave the nest. Find nakama of your own, start your own voyage. Of course you would come back, likely to challenge the redhead, but also because you knew you’d grow to miss him, not that you would tell him that. Smug bastard would probably have his ego swell. 

“Shut up Red, you know I'll miss your pretty face. Though Mihawk was a close contender, maybe I’ll run into that pretty swordsman again soon.” You tease, seeing him frown with slight irritation before shooting you a lazy grin. 

“Aww kid, nice to know you’ll be thinking of me after you go your way. Ya know you can always come back anytime ya feel...lonely.” He purrs, as you blush slightly, before you swat his reaching hands away. 

“C'mon Red, you’re the one that’ll miss me the most, anyways, you didn’t answer my question.” You reply, making your way over towards him, resting an arm on your hip. 

“Aye, we’re gonna be arriving back at Foosha soon, but before that we were gonna make a stop at Shimotsuki Village on the way.” He replies to you, pouting slightly as you swat his hand away from your reach, before you begrudgingly let him run his fingers through your unruly white mane, his trademark grin sliding back on his face. 

“Aye, aye Red. Sounds like a plan to me.” You drawl, leaning into his larger frame, enjoying the warmth that he radiated. 

He grins back at you, as you set sail for Shimotsuki Village, waves rolling gently underneath the hull of the Red Force, wind at your back, blowing the sails in guidance.  
\--


	20. Chapter 20

Ruse POV 

The small shoreside town is bustling with people, loud voices ringing throughout the streets. I can tell that this place is somewhere Shanks and the rest of the crew had wanted to restock at, but I figured, why not enjoy it while we’re here? 

I discard my trademark cloak, not really thinking that anyone here would spot a small-time pirate like myself, probably more focused on the infamous Red Haired Pirates that I had traveled with. 

“Hey pretty lady, care for a drink?” A voice intercedes from behind me. 

Pretty lady huh? Maybe I could swindle a couple free drinks from this unlucky bastard, I thought with a small grin. 

“Oya? You think I’m pretty? How fortune, I think you’re rather handsome Mr.…?” I reply, waiting for the unknown man to give his name. He’s wearing a loose kimono, a sword sheathed at his hip, his dark brown eyes framed by a pair of glasses, brunette locks styled in a messy but cute sort of way. He wasn’t too hard on the eyes, but he was more of a ‘cute puppy’ to me than a ‘handsome rugged hound.’ I met his friendly gaze, golden eyes flickering up in a mock-surprised way, as if assessing his features and seeing he was more...well, more visually appealing to you. But he didn’t need to know that, I snicker internally, deciding to wrap an arm around his shoulders, gently guiding him to a nearby bar. 

A couple hours later:

“And then I said, ‘You can’t really expect me to fight that beast of a man!’-” I nod my head, half-heartedly listening to the free-booze man, Quentin was his name, giving a “Oh really?” or a “You sly dog, you didn’t!” Every so often so he wouldn’t realize I really hadn’t been listening to a word he had been saying. The plan worked surprisingly well, almost too well in fact, as I had been struggling to get through the doors, trying to make my way back to the Red Force half-drunk. 

In the end, I had somehow made it back, waking up cocooned in warm blankets, a certain red haired pirate snoozing next to me. Figures, leave it to them to make my drinking habits rise up once again. With a light chuckle I roll my eyes, before nestling back up to my redhead companion. He had already finished his business here, having come to fetch me from my drunken stupor, and brought me back to the ship, according to Beckman at least. I sigh, before leaning over my comfortable spot on the cot, pausing a moment to admire the idiot next to me. He really was quite something, and not just his looks. His stubbornness, his strength, his fierce loyalty and comradery. He was truly a free spirit, caged by no one, traversing the seas for adventure. I grin, carding a hand through his crimson hair, snickering at the grumbling he made, still half-asleep. And if I pressed a small kiss across his cheek, well, no one would’ve seen anyways.   
\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guys! I tired to improve my pov a little, but it's a bit difficult so I may end up switching back to 2nd person narrative soon, but at least I gave it a shot :) Thanks for bearing with me! Also leave a comment if you want a particular ship to be in here, so far this is a reverse-harem style, leaning more towards reader's interests. There will be more ships not mentioned, but it may take a bit to get there >:3   
> Love y'all!   
> -Jade <3


	21. Chapter 21

Unknown POV 

A poster of a young woman, pure white hair streaked with blood, dirt, a couple twigs and dried leaves tangled in, stared back up at you from a wanted poster. You frown, she looked so familiar. Her golden eyes glimmered with rage, her lips twisted in snarl barely visible through a leather muzzle covering her lower jaw. She looked bloodthirsty and full of vengeance. So why did she remind you much of your daughter? Your beloved daughter that had been whisked away by the sea, never seen or heard from again, seemingly disappearing altogether, like she never even existed. You had searched for months, years even, trying to find her, but to no avail. You cursed softly, hands searching through the rest of the papers on your desk. You still believed she was out there, and with this doppelganger, suddenly rising to fame, slowly but surely, and looking so much like your child, you were perplexed. She was a bit more mature looking, hints of womanly curves and an air of feminine charm to her, but similar nonetheless. With a small smile you shuffle the poster among the pages on your desk, you knew that you’d have to pay her a visit, sometime soon. But first, you needed to lay out the groundwork.

Ruse D. Argenti huh? Roughly translated to Silver, in the Latin language. Even her name shared a similarity to you. Although you never got the chance to name your child yourself, having been ripped from your arms before you could form a bond with her, you thought this was too much of a coincidence. The name was befitting of a child of yours, and with her fierce glare and confidence you had a nagging feeling that this woman was someone important. Even more so, she shared the initial ‘D.’ What an interesting young woman. You hadn’t wanted to get your hopes up, but maybe, just maybe, this white haired and golden eyed young woman shared more with you than you thought. You would pay her a visit soon, but you had to deal with other matters first. 

As you rise from your desk, you grab a bottle from the table, already planning your next moves. You would find your daughter, if it was the last thing you ever did, you would find her once again, and if you had to you would move heaven and hell to see her.  
\--

Ruse POV 

Makino eagerly greeted you and the rest of the crew, having docked late in the afternoon, giving you a warm and gentle smile as she cooked for everyone. God bless this woman, she was practically a saint, dealing with all of you unruly pirates, mothering you as she replaced your regular booze with refreshing water. You chose to not comment, not wanting the rest of the crew to start teasing you for not being able to hold your liquor, which hey! You had been able to hold your own for a bit, your tolerance wasn’t that bad. You remember that you were rather smug about your drinking habits, before Yassop had easily drunk you under the table in five minutes flat, leaving you with one of the worst hangovers you had in your godforsaken life. You shiver, not wanting to relive that tsunami of disaster. 

“Oi kid! Have you ever heard about the urban legend ‘round here?” Shanks askes you, sliding in beside your usual spot at the counter, his arm slung around your shoulders, mug already in hand. You perk up in interest, eager to hear what he was hinting at.  
“Oya? And what’s the Red?” You reply, leaning your hands under your chin, not bothering to remove his arm from your shoulder, since he was likely to just sneak it back on later. Damn touchy bastard.

“Well kid, we got ourselves a Cave o’ Wonders here. Said to have a huge sum of jewels, and if you manage to find it, it’s said to grant someone a wish on a full moon.” You tilt your head, quizzically, not sure if he was just yanking your chain or if he was serious. 

“Uh-huh Red. And you’ve never been to this mysterious cave before? I’d reckon you would’ve the first you heard of it.” You tease, before the rest of the crew chimes in. 

“Haha, Cap tried to but he couldn’t find the damned thing, he spent nearly a week on there in the forest scrounging around for the treasure cove, but had to turn back when he found nothin.” Lucky Roo quips in, a grin on his face, one hand holding a drumstick from his plate, crumbs on his mouth. You smirk back at said captain, cooing at him playfully. 

“Aww- did the big bad captain come back empty handed? How sad.” You tease, seeing Shanks scowl, as he continues to tell everyone about how the elusive cave really did exist, and that he swore it wasn’t his fault for not bringing enough rope to climb down the cliffside, and that someone probably already raided the damn thing, it’s no use trying to find it again. 

You listen in, before an idea pops into your head, grinning at the crew with a mischievous smile.  
“Betcha I could do it.” Four heads whirl around, looking at you with surprise. You shrug, before standing up from your usual spot at the bar. 

“I’ll bet ya fifty beli that I can find this elusive ‘cave of wonders’ and bring back some evidence.” Shanks scoffs, clearly not liking the idea, but the rest of the rambunctious pirates all hoot and holler, saying that they’d take you up on it. You shoot the redhead next to you a grin, patting his back as you walk by. “Don't worry Red, I’ll come back alive. And with some proof too.” You snicker as he pouts dramatically. 

“Tch, not like I care what ya do kid, but I really doubt you’ll find the damned thing. Want me to tag along?” He replies, his eyes hopeful. 

“And have you claiming my reward? Absolutely not Red. Better luck next time.” You smirk at him. 

With a wave to the rest of your companions you sling a knapsack over your shoulder, and make your way to your next destination. Cave of Wonders, here I come.  
\--


	22. Chapter 22

Ruse POV

The vines in the jungle were thick and heavy, having to be cut each time you tried to take a step forward. Hell’s horns, this was difficult, you may as well just turn back while you’re ahead. And this was a fucking jungle not a forest! Shanks had conveniently forgotten to mention that as he had pointed you in the direction he heard the cave was located in. Damn idiotic captain. 

You were already half-way through the undergrowth, but maybe you should turn back. It was sticky and humid and way too much work. No! You couldn’t think like that, just because you were hungry, tired, sore, and did you mention hungry? Well no matter, you had to keep forging ahead if you wanted to prove yourself. You were a pirate! And you’d be damned if you turned back now. You had fifty beli riding on this damn thing. With a growl, you forge ahead, wiping another bead of sweat off your forehead and continue your grueling path.   
Walk, walk, swing, cut, shove aside more undergrowth, walk, walk, swing, cut, again. The journey to the cave was a grueling one, but you finally made it. 

The sun was no longer high in the sky, beaming down on you, but now sinking into the sea. You sigh a breath of relief. Thank the unholy heavens you made it. Birds trill around you and you could have sworn you heard a tiger’s roar in the distance, but you tried to block them out. You were finally in the Cave of Wonders, and by damned were you going to have a nice hour long nap before heading back to gloat. After you find the treasure hidden here of course. 

Shanks had said there was a legend of gemstones being buried in a cave here, and that no one was ever able to find it, usually getting lost before even getting close, but you did it! Ha, man it felt great to succeed when others failed. Even if it sounded twisted, you were ecstatic that you had finally found one of the legends. Untwisting your canteen of water from Makino, you take a couple of swigs before deciding to continue forward into the cave. 

Each step you take echoes around the tavern as you press forward, looking at the dampened walls surrounding you, trying to find the treasure that everyone has talked of. Moonlight begins to stream in as you realize the sun had already set and now the sky was filled with stars. You curse softly, you weren’t supposed to stay out this late, but you were a pirate dammit, you could do what you wanted to, Shanks and the rest of ‘em be damned. The silvery glow of the moon bathes you as you crouch down, dipping under the ridges and stalagmites that hang overhead. 

Finally a twinkle catches your eye, and you take a couple more measured steps forwards, cautious of the rocky terrain your in. Gemstones glistened around you, the cave shimmering softly with moonlight bouncing off the rocky treasures. You gasp, it was beautiful! If you weren’t as small as you were, you probably wouldn’t be able to fit in the cave of wonders. You grin as you begin to reach your hand out to the dampened walls around you, twinkling colors beckoning you forward. As you stroke the gems you grin once more, you really did it. You actually managed to find the wonders hidden in the cave, and man were you feeling proud of yourself. You chuckle as you begin to explore around the cavern, the gems winking at you as you feel around the edges of the walls, before your hands run over something cold and smooth. Not like the rocks in the cave, but soft and smooth, almost with a fleshy feel? You crouch lower to investigate. There, tucked behind a boulder was a fruit. It was almost the size of your head, at least. A giant rounded fruit, with swirls around it, almost inside of it, it was a soft silver color, almost transparent as you investigate it. You frown, curious of why such a weird fruit would be growing in a cave, before going against better judgment and bringing it to your mouth to take a chomp out of it. Hey, not like you could blame anyone, besides your stomach, after all, you were pretty hungry after that trek through the frosty jungle of death. It tasted awful, like really, really, really bad. You almost spit it out, but decided not to, after all, wasting food was basically a sin for you. You shrug and just picture that you're eating a fruit candy, like a candy apple maybe, that only tastes a wee bit like death personified. Finally after about five minutes, which was slower in comparison for you, you’re able to completely finish and stomach the foul fruit before you stretch and yawn. You’re most definitely ready for a nap. You roll your shoulders and begin to lay your cloak down, a slightly softer bedding than the cavern floor, but it’ll work. As you drift to sleep, you feel a strange sensation, like a full-body shiver, and could have sworn you saw silver eyes gleam at you from outside the cave. But, tomorrow’s problems are for tomorrow's me, and a night of sleep really sounds appetizing for you.   
\---  
“Kid! Ruse! Wake up!” You grumble lowly, still sleeping soundly, mildly irritated at the noise above you. “Oh, gods, you’ll have to forgive me.” A voice whispers from above you, a flash of red enters your vision as you groan before closing your eyes again.

Cold, wet liquid splashes on your skin as your eyes shoot open, one hand already on your knife, the other stretched into a claw, ready to rip someone into pieces. “UNHOLY HELL! YOU CRETIN! SON OF A-” You yell as you lock eyes with gray steely orbs, and you growl lowly.

“Shanks, you red haired idiot, what the ever-loving fuck do you think you’re doing, waking me up at the crack of dawn, in the cave of wonders?” Each word gets lower and lower as you glare at the red haired idiot. 

“Aye, kid, you’re not in the cave of wonders, you’re actually laying in the middle of the bar, but it’s nice to see ya alive.” He smirks at you, his concerned expression melted away at seeing your fiery attitude in full gear. 

You frown, confused. You slept in the middle of the bar? No, you remember very clearly you fell asleep on the rocky bed floor of the gemstone cave- oh shit! The treasure! You hurriedly rip open your leather bag, breathing a sigh of relief. You almost gave yourself an aneurysm. 

“No, that’s besides the point. Look idiot captain, I got ‘em.” You smirk proudly, shoving the gems in the arms of the redhead above you. 

Shanks quirks an eyebrow at you, pleasantly surprised. “Whoa, who would've thought that you really would do it. I'm impressed kid. Truly.” He grins at you, and you glare back at him. 

“Tch. After all that work that’s what you say to me?” “No, ‘Gee you went through that death trap of a jungle just to bring back treasure for us? What a good girl!” You scoff. “No, it’s just ‘wow kid you actually did it, what an idiot, haha.’ You’re an ass Shanks.” You glare at him again, proudness overtaken by your less than ideal response from him. 

The redhead just laughs, crossing his arm over his chest before looking at you again. You pout, offended that he didn’t think you’d really do it. Shanks smirks before uncrossing his arm and reaching out to run his hand through your white mane of unruly hair. 

“Yosh, yosh, such a good girl for surviving that deathly jungle all by yourself. And you brought back your treasure to share with us, that’s my good girl.” He snickers as you huff angrily. You shove his hand off your head, briefly missing the warmth of contact before snatching your bag back from him. 

“Well since you’re teasing me, I think I’m just gonna take ‘em all and not share a single piece with you, you big jerk.” He tries to grab the bag back before you swipe it away from his reach.   
“Ah-ah, you’re not getting any!” You tease, keeping the bag of gems just out of his reach. 

He grins at you playfully before leaning in, whispering “I thought good girls share their belongings, you’re really not a good girl at all are you? Naughty, naughty.” You blush, his breath tickling your ear, and the deep timbre of his voice too close for you to counteract.  
“Idiot! I never said I’m a good girl, and there's nothing to share, so back off you perverted pirate!” you shove him, but he just leans closer, unaffected by your kitten-like shoves. 

“Oh? But you just said you wanted me to call you one. Look at that, all blush and red from a little teasing?” He chuckles, the vibrations rumbling through his chest, and you avert your eyes, before remembering that you were supposed to be angry at him. 

“You liar! Cheater! You’re just trying to distract me from why I was pissed at you!” You narrow your eyes at the redhead, and look up at him, challenge accepted Shanks. 

“Ahaha you remembered huh?” He scratches his cheek nervously, as you lean in closer to him. His steel orbs lock with your golden ones. You smirk evilly as he sweat drops. 

“You’d think I’d forget? You got me all wet, and you’re not even taking responsibility Red, what a bad, bad boy.” You see him gulp nervously as you stroke his chest, your shirt was indeed wet, completely drenched actually. And you were not happy. 

“Ahh, Ruse, y’know I can just go grab you one of mine, I really had no other option though, you were completely passed out, what was I supposed to do? Leave you? My chivalry wouldn’t allow that.. ahaha…” He chuckles timidly, and you narrow your gaze. Your hands that were stroking his chest prior now reach up to stroke his face, one on his cheek the other thumbing gently over his forehead. He stiffens as you press yourself against him, wet shirt seeping into his. 

“Y'know? I think you’re completely right. Thank you so much Red, I really appreciate you taking the effort to wake me up, in fact I think you deserve a reward for being so selfless, wouldn’t you say?” You flutter your eyelashes as you lean in closer, breath fanning over his lips, almost but not quite touching. Man you were really enjoying this. 

“Uhh..hmm…” He incoherently mumbled, his pupils were dilated, a faint blush tainting his skin, you could see him swallow nervously. How cute, one of the biggest flirts in the seven seas, was blushing like a virgin when you were teasing him. Serves him right, he better know his place, he may be a strongly notorious pirate now, but you were gonna be the best one yet.   
You blew a soft breath against his lips before leaning in, he shivered in response and you smirked slowly. He thought you were intending to give him a kiss, yet you were actually about to do the furthest thing from it. 

“Always the chivalrous knight aren’t you Red? What a good boy.” You purr, fingers carding through his hair. He growled lowly, his chest rumbling as you pulled his head closer to yours and you began to lean in to kiss him, pausing moments away from doing so. And right as you grin you were taken aback. You were about to rip away from the red haired idiot, giving him a taste of his own medicine and maybe slamming his pretty face into the bar counter, but you were not planning for this to happen. 

Warm lips slammed against your own, hot and wet and fervent. You gasped into the kiss, leaving Shanks to pry your lips apart, tongue sliding against your own, rubbing sensually. You startle, a moan accidently escaping, this was your first real kiss! And it was stolen. By Shanks. His arm slid roughly around your waist, angling his head to deepen the kiss, growling hotly into your mouth when you didn’t comply. You were shocked, but also turned on? How? You thought you hated this man, with his cocky attitude and his pretty face and his really unfairly gorgeous hair. Which you were now pulling. Roughly. And he liked it, a lot, if you could judge from the way he groaned against your lips, licking further, almost as if he was trying to memorize your mouth like a treasure map. Rough stubble burned pleasantly across your skin as he pressed tightly against you, hand that was gripping your waist now running across your body, mapping out each contour, dip, and curve. You try to push him away feebly, your mind in a haze, heart beating rapidly against your chest. You swore you could hear your blood rush to your ears as he encircled your hands with his own. Feeling his chest, smooth and solid against your own hands, muscles taunt with restraint, his heart was beating almost as fast as yours, and you gasp again, this time with the need for oxygen. Shanks breaks away from your lips, resting his forehead against your own and lets out a strained chuckle.

“Thanks for the reward, although now that I’ve had a taste, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist from the whole damn meal.” His voice is low and husky, that deep timbre that you love so much-wait a goddamn minute! You just said you love his voice, nononono those thoughts are not supposed to pop up, no thank you! You shiver slightly, trying to shake your head to clear those traitorous thoughts, you were not attracted to that red haired idiot. Even if he did just kiss the breath out of you. You stare at him, cheeks flushes, your hair slightly mussed and try to form a coherent sentence. 

“As if I’d ever let you, I doubt you’ll ever get that lucky again. Idiot.” You scoff, as you straighten, trying to look composed. 

Clearly that was the wrong wording as Shanks narrows his eyes at you, a smirk already forming on his smug face. 

“Is that a challenge, kid? Aye, it sure as hell sounds like one to me.” He leans in to you, and for a second you thought he was going to kiss you again. Your eyes slide close as you wait for him to do something but you only feel a breath of air tickling your ear. 

“I’ll take that as a yes, you know I’ve never lost. Not once.” He grins at you as he leans back on the counter again, giving you time to compose yourself. 

“ We’ll see about that. I know for a fact that you won’t win, might as well give up now Red.” You scowl, and then shoot him a pointed look. 

He laughs as you state that and just shakes his head. “Kid, y’know you got a lot of fire in you. I like that, but we both know who really wins here.” You roll your eyes as you go to sit on a bar stool. 

“So, where’s my shirt? I’ve been waiting oh chivalrous knight.” You hold out a hand, expectantly, as your redhead companion chuckles before gesturing for you to follow him. 

“C’mon kid, I’ll grab you a new one from my ship.” You scowl mockingly, and nudge him as he slides out of the stool next to you. He grins at you, and you can’t help but think that he’s an idiot, but follow him anyways. 

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oya, oya? Looks like a ship has set sail! A certain redhead pirate finally makes a move.  
> Don't worry though, there'll be plenty more ships coming in the near future!  
> -Jade <3


	23. Chapter 23

Shanks POV 

You were a bit shocked at your actions, but held no regret. You had wanted to lay claim to the troublesome kid since she had walked into Party’s Bar, and you weren’t gonna take back the kiss you had shared. Warm, slightly chapped pink lips, soft skin, pure white mane of hair, and don’t even get started on those eyes of hers. Mischievous and playful golden eyes, wild and beautiful. 

“So, where’s my shirt? I’ve been waiting oh chivalrous knight.” Ruse holds out her hand, expectantly. You hold in your laughter at her expression, her face still holding a faint blush. You really were glad you had finally kissed her, but also a bit nervous knowing that when Rayleigh found out about this, he'd likely try to off your other arm, shivering slightly. Best not to think about that, after all, very few knew that Argenti had been a hidden code for Silvers, only a small handful of people were aware of the secret, that Rayleigh's kid had survived, the 'presumed dead' Argenti had been given that last name for a reason after all. Just like Roger's kid, very few people were aware of her existence, her name seemingly odd but nothing noteworthy, but you knew what it stood for. Argenti was a survivor of one of the greatest eras of all time, and yet she was hidden in plain sight, most unaware of her bloodline, which you were thankful for. You wondered why Rayleigh hadn't come to collect her yet, but brushed the thought aside, best not to worry about that. Her time would come, and when it did, she would announce to the world her existence. You grin, gesturing her to follow you, talking with her about the legendary Cave of Wonders and what she saw there, only a slight bit annoyed that she was able to find the local urban legend instead of you. But maybe it was better she had, you smile softly, watching her talk animatedly about her journey. 

“And then I found this really obscure fruit looking thing, so of course I wasn’t gonna let precious food go to waste, but man it tasted awful Red. Like some poor kid’s parents in an urn, pan-fried in death personified. Gross.” She sticks her tongue out dramatically as you realize what she just said. 

“Oi kid, you’re telling me you found a weird fruit there? Did it have swirls on it and an odd coloring?” You ask, earlier musings entirely forgotten with this new information she had just thrown at you. You were praying she said no and that your active imagination was just acting up, laughing it off.

“How’d ya know Red? Spot on. It was kinda silvery, had a weird texture to it, almost like it was...alive or something.” She shivers, frowning in thought, before giving you a grin. 

“Ah and no I’m not sharing, I ate the whole damn thing.” Oh no. You sweat drop, no way. 

“Ruse.” You reply, your voice low and unsteady. This woman had eaten a devil fruit. Without even realizing it too. Dammit. 

“I saw it first! Meaning dibs, even if it tasted like shit.” She argues back at you.

“Ruse.” You repeat her name, golden eyes widening at the lack of nickname, and the fact you had just called her by name...twice. 

“Shanks?” She questions warily, looking back at you. 

“You ate a devil fruit Ruse. Meaning…you can longer swim.” You reply, a frown on your face, trying to figure out how to fix this situation, even if only a tiny bit. Once someone consumed a devil fruit they lost their ability to swim, and gained an ability of mysterious power to said fruit, but it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Being a pirate on these seas was already dangerous enough and now the damned kid had to go and eat an unknown devil fruit on top of it. She had said the coloring had a silverish tint to it, smelling like jasmine and sandalwood oddly enough, and had the trademark swirl of the fruit, but didn’t feel anything happen to her after devouring the damn thing in five minutes. You only hoped that it wasn’t a logia type, damn woman wasn’t able to stay in one place as it was already, you cursed inwardly. If she had eaten something that would double those erratic movements of hers, you honestly wouldn’t be sure on how to handle that.

Her golden eyes darken, narrowing in a glare, as she curses softly. 

“Dammit Red, how the unholy hell was I supposed to have known that it was a devil fruit? I mean, for fuck’s sake, it was in the middle of a goddamn cave! That’s not exactly the most opportune place for one, and now I’m basically cursed...lovely.” She sighed, blowing a stand of long white hair out of her face, scowling. “A pirate unable to swim? That’s really pathetic, hell’s horn’s of course I had to have eaten something that cursed me. Tch.” She growls, her earlier warm and cheerful mood quickly turning sour.

“I know you didn’t mean to kid, but dammit, how am I supposed to let you venture off into the world after knowing this?” You frown, snapping your jaw closed, taking a couple deep breaths. You had to ease down the frustration in your voice so she wouldn’t think you were blaming her for the unsavory accident. She had eaten the fruit without thinking of the consequences, but that was typical Ruse. The damn woman had always been like that, but you were also at fault. You should’ve versed her better about the dangers that came with being a pirate and the double-edged sword of the power and the curse of devil fruits. Now you had two of your loved ones having consumed a devil fruit before you were able to stop them. Maybe you should’ve taken up Makino on her expertise of kids, although Ruse wasn’t all that much younger than you, you should’ve known with her child-like antics that something like this would’ve happened sooner or later. 

You level her with an even stare, before sighing exasperatedly. The only thing you could do now was to train her a bit more before she ventured off on her own.

“Ok kid, we’re gonna scratch our original plan of letting you roam wild-” She glares at you before you continue. “At least until we can know for sure what sort of fruit you ate, and train you on how best to use it. After that you’re free to do whatever you want kid. I just need to make sure I can send you off safely, not watch you march to your inevitable death.” Your steely grey irises gazing back at her golden ones. A tense silence hangs in the air, before she sighs, nodding her head in agreement. 

“Ok Red, I trust you. A lot more than anyone else I’ve met, so I’ll take your word for it.” You raise an eyebrow at the sincerity of her words, pleasantly surprised at the high regard she held for you, before giving her a lopsided grin. 

“Alright kid, now let’s get you changed, and figure out what the hell you just ate.” You ruffle her hair, giving her a soft smile. 

You both make your way back to the Red Force, Ruse already jumping up and down excitedly, and you smile softly. This woman would be the death of you yet.   
\--


	24. Chapter 24

Ruse POV 

“So that’s about the just of it guys, and I’m still waiting on that fifty beli y’know.” You grumble, not wanting to have to repeat yourself for the fifth time, as the rest of the crew sits, jaws-slack, not sure how to react. 

“You sure do know how to get yourself in trouble dontcha Argenti?” Beckman sighs, pulling at his hair, shooting his captain a dirty look. “And you! You should’ve known better than to let the lass run off on her own, ya idiot.” He continues, pointing a finger at said idiot in question. You resist the urge to snicker at the appointed nickname you had dubbed Shanks with, but quickly sober as Beckman starts lecturing you again. 

After a couple hours of listening to his rambling and disappointed looks you stretch, covering a yawn from escaping, nodding dutifully as Beckman finally finishes. 

“Jeez, remind me to never get on his bad side, scary. Like a mother, all those disapproving looks and ‘you should act more mature, you’re 18 for god’s sake!” You mimic as Shanks snickers, the two of you sharing a bonding moment over Benn’s motherly scolding. 

“Ugh. C’mon Red! Let’s gooooo...I’m boreeeed. I wanna see what this devil fruit thing is, maybe it’ll be something cool!” You whine, tugging on the redhead next to you. 

“Oi kid, I know, I know. But first, let’s get the ‘ol book out, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have you trying your luck at something without proper guidance. Remember what Benn said?” He teases as you pout childishly. You suppose he was right, it may be better to try and see if you could recognize the damn thing sitting in your stomach before just shooting off on your own.   
“Ahh, fine Red. Let’s go grab the damned thing then and get a move on it.” You grumble, before your dread of having to sit down and read was replaced by eager curiosity. 

“Hey Red, you said you had this book for awhile right? Was there any reason why?” You question, turning to look at the redhead as you continue to walk down the halls, peering at him questioningly. 

“Aye, I’ve been collecting ‘em, if you hadn’t eaten the cursed thing we coulda sold it, they go for a lot on the market, probably more than your pretty little head.” He chuckles as he looks at you, your face scrunched up with annoyance. Well, there goes that idea. Guess you’ll have to think ahead next time, but that was highly unlikely. After all, if you weren’t blindly making choices and forging ahead, then you weren’t yourself.   
“Tch, whatever ya damn pirate, let’s just see what this thing is.” You grin, shooting him a playful look.   
“And I’ll have you know that my pretty little head already has a bounty on it, so eat that.” Shanks looks back at you, puzzled. 

“You already got yourself a bounty kid? For what?” You waggle your eyebrows playfully. 

“Ahh, you know what? Nevermind, kid. Here, point out the one that you ate today.” The redhead plops a book on your lap, and you lean down to skim the pages. 

Tori Tori no Mi, Ito Ito no Mi, Mera Mera no Mi, Ushi Ushi no Mi, Hito Hito no Mi,Baku Baku no Mi, you sigh as you continue to look through the pages, trying to find the fruit you had consumed earlier. 

Awa Awa no Mi, Peto Peto no Mi, Yami Yami no Mi, Gashi Gashi no Mi,Goru Goru no Mi, Ope Ope no Mi, Gomu Gomu no Mi, Nagi Nagi no Mi, maybe it wasn’t in here. You growl, annoyed, deciding to flip to another page. 

And there, plain as day, gleaming back at you, sitting at the very bottom of the worn paper was the fruit you had eaten. The Okami Okami no Mi, its silvery flesh glimmered on the picture crudely drawn, the shape and size of the cursed thing so similar it almost scared you. Neatly written in a small font was a passage, describing the devil fruit underneath the crude sketch. 

Okami Okami no Mi, also known as the “Wolf Wolf Fruit”   
To the wielder, this fruit is something powerful, but be cautious, this fruit has gone unconsumed, hidden for a reason. If you have found this fruit, leave it be, the price is not worth the cost. Those who try, beware. 

You turn the next page, expecting for a summary, something, but there’s nothing else written. Just a short description of the fruit, a warning and a poorly drawn sketch. How annoying.

“The Okami Okami no Mi, huh? That’s a lame name, what am I gonna sprout a fluffy tail and fur or something? That’s pathetic. There’s nothing even written here Shanks, except a lame warning. Like I’d even want this damn thing anyways, tch.” You growl, shoving the book back to your redhead companion, who looks at you, brows furrowed in deep thought. 

“Those who try, beware? Ah kid, only you would be able to get a hold of something that even the universe says is troublesome.” Shanks chuckles, thumbing through the book like you had earlier and you shoot him a glare. Bastard thought this was funny huh? You stand abruptly, levelling the redhead with a stare, before you open the door from the quarters you were just in prior. Shanks looks up, surprise evident on his face, his eyes following you curiously.

“Fine Red, I’m gonna go and figure out this Okami Okami bastard of a fruit then, myself. And if I do somehow grow fur and a tail, you can bet your pretty ass that I’ll come after you.” You snicker internally, not giving him a chance to reply. If that red haired idiot wanted to tease you, then you’d prove to him just how wrong he was. Flipping him a non-so-discreet finger you continue to make your way out of the Red Force, jumping off the deck with a practiced ease, landing back on the familiar sands of Foosha. Setting your jaw, you continue onwards, your feet already carrying you to your favorite training grounds. You’d figure out how to work this damn power, or you’d die trying.   
\--


	25. Chapter 25

Shanks POV 

You sighed, your hand buried in your crimson hair, exasperated. Ruse had gone off in the woods to train, and you had Yassop follow her, too preoccupied with trying to find out what the hell exactly was this ‘Okami Okami no Mi' she had accidentally eaten. Likely a zoan type if the description was anything to go by, a wolf's traits perhaps? The silvery flesh in the journal shimmered, seeming to gloat at you from your desk as you scowl. Growling in annoyance, you shoved the book away, before rubbing your fingers to your temple, already feeling a headache coming on. You had searched through the journal three-four-five times already, no clue left on the mysterious fruit other than the crude sketch and the forbearing warning. With another groan of disappointment, you reach for the nearby den-den mushi, dialing a familiar code, before you hear a voice pick up. When all else fails, you knew someone who had intel on everything.

“Red Hair?” A voice grumbles, seemingly addled with sleep, Italian accent slipping in between words.

“Aye, nice to hear from ya again Mihawk, how ya been?” You reply, chuckling before being met with a moment of silence.

More silence hangs in the air, before you hear the familiar grumbling sigh from the other line.

“What’s the real reason you called Akagami?” Mihawk sounds tired, not particularly eager to entertain his rival with idle talk.

You sigh, not wanting to cut to the chase so soon, but continue. “What have you heard of the ‘Okami Okami no Mi?’” Faint rustling sounds from the corresponded line, before you hear your old friend inhale sharply, his voice low and taunt as he replies to you.

“Where did you hear that name, Akagami?!” You were taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor, the den-den mushi that took shape from the receptor, golden eyes piercing into you, a furrow on his brow, jaw clenched tightly, his expression guarded.. 

“Well...turns out the kid accidentally got her hands on it, already ate the damn thing from the Cave 'o Wonders out here in Foosha. You alright Mihawk?” You ask, confused at your rival’s abrupt behavior change, as he hissed softly, Italian curses bleeding through his usual stoic mannerisms. 

“Dio e lassu! Are you still at Foosha? Red Hair. You cannot leave until I get there. Promise me Akagami, do not let Argenti out of your sight.” 

You frown, not sure why he was suddenly in such a hurry to sail here, only low curses and rustling papers echoing through the connection line. 

“Mihawk?” You question, hearing more lines of Italian growl out, before his voice responds to you once more.

“Promise me Shanks. Promise me, Vecchio Amico.” Mihawk seemed oddly tense for only hearing the words ‘Okami Okami no Mi’ and ‘Ruse.’ 

You scowl a bit at his condescending tone before you reply. “Alright, alright, I promise. She’s just training in the woods, I have Yassop tailing her for safety, ya know I’m not a child, I’m a yonko, Mihawk, I can handle a little trouble thrown my way, jeez.” 

He laughs slightly before you hear footsteps, pacing around what is likely his desk room. “I’ll be there before sunset, keep your guard up Akagami. I’ll be seeing you soon.” Mihawk replies, before the call drops, and you are left in silence. 

Just what the hell exactly was that devil fruit?  
\--

Ruse POV 

Standing in the opening of your regular training grounds forest in Foosha, you let out a frustrated cry, raking your fingernails across your scalp in disappointment and aggravation. You knew you wouldn’t be able to suddenly reign in this mysterious power that you ingested a day earlier, but for fuck’s sake you just wanted any sign of change. No fur, no elongated teeth, no extra appendages suddenly sprouting from your body. This blew. 

You sat down roughly, legs sprawled out in front of you as you lay on your back, watching the sky ahead of you. Birds flew across the vast azure skies, the forest brimming with shrills of animals deeper within. Maybe if you ventured closer to said beasts and prey in the overgrowth, your devil fruit would activate. With a growing smile, you sit up abruptly from our lazy posture on the ground prior, glancing around to see if Red or anyone else had followed you. You couldn’t seem to sense anyone, so you carefully and stealthily crept across the forest clearing, pausing once more to see if the lack of presence had changed. It did not. With a grin you begin to pick up your pace, all but sprinting deeper into the undergrowth of the forest mixed jungle ahead of you. You were determined, you would definitely find out how to activate this weird power, if it was the last thing you did. 

Vines and vegetation thickened around you as you continue to force your way through the jungle, ears perking up at the nearby cries of animals ahead of you. A loud roar echoing off in the distance, must be a tiger, or wild beast of some sort. Your grin stretched wider across your scarred lips, as you bark out a low laugh, before you halt. Suddenly, you didn’t feel all that cheerful anymore. A thick, heady, dangerous aura was looming ahead of you, covered by the palms and greenery that overflowed around the jungle. You skid in your tracks, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. Waiting with baited breath as you can hear growling and scuffling not even five feet ahead of you beyond the hidden vines and shrubbery. Loud echoes of agony and feral hissing ripped through your ears as a lean figure tumbles from the vegetation ahead of you, a leopard’s pelt brushing against your boots, the scent of blood heady in the air. The giant predatory feline has its throat ripped open, blood spilling across your feet, dripping onto the jungle floor, its glassy obsidian eyes staring up at you lifelessly. 

You suppress the scream building inside your chest as you start to tremble slightly. Backing up, ever so slowly so as to not alert the other beast hidden behind the shrubbery, the one that just ripped into a leopard as smooth as cutting silk. One step, two, three-a rustle and growling come from ahead of you and you stop, breath quivering in your throat, devil fruit power forgotten in your moment of pure unadulterated panic. Your eyes stay locked on to spot ahead of you and the lifeless feline, as you can see the swaying of the giant palm leaves move, oh no. Your hands curled around your mouth and head protectively, as you suddenly come face to face with bright amber eyes, staring back at you. Black shaggy fur sprayed with crimson liquid, a huge canine form stood directly in front of you, its eyes already locked onto your own. Oh no. You were absolutely fucked. 

You felt the scream bubble in your chest, refusing to let it out, staring back into amber eyes defiantly, if you were gonna get mauled to death by a giant hound in the jungle, you were at least gonna die proud. You foolishly straighten your shoulders, posturing at the canine in front of you, its maw dripping with blood as it continues to stare at you, unblinking intelligent eyes boring right into your very soul. 

Why was it so cold all of the sudden? There was no wind, no rain forecasted for today either, but you felt like you were trapped in a tundra of snow. Goosebumps break out on your bare skin, your hairs standing on end, as you struggle not to break eye contact with the giant hound in front of you. You knew instinctively, that if you were to look away, turn your back for a moment, you’d be dead before you could scream. Silence hangs between the two of you, as neither one of you move a muscle, the hound’s calculating gaze taking in every single movement it could pick up.

The cold feeling starts to creep up on you again, as you feel your head start to pulse, a steady strum that echoes in your ears. Bump. Ba-dump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Ba-dump. Bump.  
Suddenly the blood rushing through your ears and the frigid coldness biting your skin disappear, as you see the giant canine begin to bunch its muscles, stretching its body before it leapt atop you and tore you to pieces, leaving behind no remains. You blink languidly, did you just visualize your own death? Amber eyes still locked in an intense gaze with your own golden one, all was quiet. Deathly quiet. The birds had stopped trilling, the buzzing of the flies and beetles resided. There was only silence left. 

A blood-chilling roar sounded from in front of you, as you instinctively bring your hands up to guard what you could of yourself, waiting for the impact of fangs and claws to rip your skin apart like ribbons. It never comes.  
\--

You thought for sure you were literally moments away from death, so why? Why weren’t you bleeding out across the jungle vegetation in front of you? Why didn’t you feel the fangs and claws sink into your flesh? What happened?

“Huh?” You gasp, the giant hound had disappeared, vanished, like it was never there to begin with. What in the seven circles of hell? 

You whip your head around, frantically scanning the trees and vines around you, golden eyes darting out to see where the canine went. Only the shrill of birds, the buzzing of beetles, the chittering of monkeys met you. There was not a single hound in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Mihawk will slip into Italian in this fic because while Spaniard is more canon-like...I do love me some Italian accents and slip ups :)  
> Translations:  
> God's above!- Dio e lassu  
> Old Friend- Vecchio Amico 
> 
> Also more detail to come for the Okami Okami no Mi, translating to the 'Wolf-Wolf Fruit' so stay tuned!  
> -Jade <3


	26. Chapter 26

Ruse POV 

“Oi ya damn brat! Where’d you run off to like that?” Yassop’s voice shouts out to you, his yellow headband drenched in sweat, panting slightly from running so far in such a short distance. Dammit, looks like Shanks had him tail you, but you couldn’t complain. If the marksmen hadn’t shown up, you could very well be dinner right now, that giant black hound having disappeared from your line of sight made you shiver. It could still be out there, watching, waiting, stalking you as prey. Hell’s horns, you really were rather impulsive sometimes. You turn to greet Yassop, shouting at him, waving your arms, nearby fauna darting back into the depth of the jungle from your loud voice. 

“Heya Yassop! Over here!” You call out, a nervous smile on your face, not trusting yourself to leave the spot of your almost-death. He could laugh at you, but you’d rather wait for him to walk with you, having actual guns on him, whilst you were unarmed. 

The red-haired pirate gunman makes his way over to you, a scowl on his face, clearly not too pleased of having lost sight of you for less than a minute. 

“Dammit Ruse, I told you not to go off on your own! What if you were eaten or something?” You chuckle nervously, scratching your cheek as you look at the ground. 

“Well…” You reply, telling him what had just happened, and the reasoning of why you were out here in the first place. 

The dreadlocked blonde sighs loudly, slinging an arm over your shoulder, guiding you back to the town, all the while lecturing you for your recklessness. You scowl, listening to his reprimanding words, before the voices of people start to get closer, and you glare at your comrade, wriggling out of his grip. 

“Oi! I get it already ‘Sop, you can lay off nagging me for like two minutes. I still haven't been able to use the damn power of the fruit, so unless you have a better idea, then shove off!” Your voice had been getting louder and louder with each word you growled out, nearly shouting now at the man who had guided you back to town. Yassop just facepalms, shaking his head at your antics. 

“I know that you're strong Ruse, but you really should just ask for help once in a while. It won't be the end of the world, you know we care about you, Captain especially.” Your eyes soften a bit, knowing you had scorned him unfairly, before you nod in agreement, offering him a small apology. 

“Sorry ‘Sop, I just- It’s just really frustrating when all I have to go on is a crappy sketch and a couple words in a journal for this damn fruit.” Yassop hums, deep in thought before his face brightens. 

“Oi! Why don’t you just picture a dog-sorry-a wolf and then try to change into it that way? Like really, really, really picture a canine’s form.” His honey-brown eyes brighten, as if he just had a million belli idea, and you struggle not to groan. 

Alright, well, it shouldn’t be that hard, right? Plus it’s not like you’ll actually turn into a canine if you picture it hard enough, but you might as well give it a try. With a half-hearted shrug you take Yassop’s advice, plopping down on the forest floor, crossing your arms, giving the gunman a smirk as you wave him off. He laughs, telling you he was going to grab a mug of ale, and that he’d bring you back some in a few minutes. You assured him that you wouldn’t move from your spot, too preoccupied with trying to concentrate on conjuring a canine in your mind. 

Closing your eyes, you materialize a wolf in your mindscape. Long silver fur, strong jaws, razor-sharp fangs, sturdy frame built for speed and agility. 

“Ruse?” 

You can picture the ligaments, the joints, the muscles tensed, eager to run with a pack, howl under the moon. The wind caressing your pelt, the soft dirt under your paws, the- 

“Ruse?!” 

You curse, your eyes snapping open as you were interrupted from further delving into your mindscape. Growling with annoyance, you glare at the gunman. He just had to interrupt you right when you were thinking you got something. 

Wide eyed, jaw slacked, Yassop stares at you. Two mugs of ale lay on the forest floor, forgotten as he gawks at you. You stare back, brow arched at his apparent confusion. What was he staring at you like that for? You turn your head, trying to see if he was playing a prank on you, but no one was behind you. With a frown you look back at your comrade, before he starts to yell hysterically, pointing at you accusingly. 

“Ruse! You’re Ruse aren't you?” Of course you were, what an idiot. “ How the bloody hell did you do this to yourself?” He still sounds hysterical, as you snort, slightly amused at his antics. 

You clear your throat to sass him in reply, but freeze. 

Why couldn’t you say anything? 

Another sentence tries to make its way out of your throat, but gets caught the same way. Oh no, what the hell happened to you? You look up at Yassop, panicked golden eyes meeting his brown ones as you whine, panic evident in your voice.

What just happened to you? And why couldn’t you get your voice to work? 

“Ohhhhh nooooo. We need Captain, like right now. You- you stay there, I’ll be right back, don’t move an inch kid!” Yassop starts to sprint back to the bar, leaving you completely alone. 

You continued to try to get your voice to work, but to no avail. Maybe you had bitten your tongue without realizing it, or maybe you just thought so hard about the devil fruit that it backfired on you? Thinking before speaking wasn’t something you were exactly skilled in. Was this part of the fruit’s power? Growling again, you go to run your hands through your hair, a nervous habit you had picked up from Shanks, but pause your motions midway through. Was that- Was that a fucking paw?!  
\--


	27. Chapter 27

Shanks POV 

Your previous conversation with Mihawk had left you curious, so you had decided to read up more on the strange fruit, again, bearing no results. Meaning that you were left with only one option, relying on information through the grapevine. According to your intel, and after several den-den mushi transponders failed to pick up, you were finally able to get a hold of someone, business relation to Dragon, who answered your curiosity with a much more detailed description than either Mihawk or the journal. 

The ‘Okami Okami no Mi’ was rumored to be a folklore legend, that of a devil’s powers to rival gods even, for the user is granted enormous amounts of strength, power and skill. The one that ingested this mythical fruit was bestowed the blessings of a great wolf, Fenrir, a great and mighty warrior, who was written about in awe and fear in the legends. The blessing was described almost as a curse though, while it enticed many with its mighty power, it was described as a devil’s fruit that had the capabilities of driving one mad, if their own will was overcome by the lust of power, then they would cease to exist as a man, leaving only the beast behind to reign free. Not much else was known, as no one had reportedly eaten the fruit before, leaving its exact abilities and strengths unknown, subject to the user. As you were writing down the replies you had heard from the mysterious fruit, now known as a possible mythical zoan type fruit, your quill goes still.

You pause, a sense of dread filling your chest. Ruse. The damn kid had ingested one of the mythical zoan-type devil fruits, one that not many believed still existed. And apparently one with as many benefits as there were drawbacks. Of course your favorite troublemaker had to stick her nose into something like that. With a sigh, you rub your eyes, tiredly, not looking forward to telling her this new information. 

“Captain! We have a problem!” Comes a voice from behind the door to your study in the further rooms of the bar, and you jolt. Yassop? What was he doing here? He was supposed to be watching Ruse! You curse softly, as you stand up from your chair, papers clutched tightly in your hand, as the door swings open, there stands Yassop. His yellow headband is drenched in sweat, his chest heaving, breath sporadic as he pants before standing straight again. 

“Captain. It’s Ruse.” Your heart stops, breath caught in your chest as you momentarily freeze, looking back at your crewmate, his face pale. 

“Ruse? What happened to her? Is she ok? Where is she?” You fire off questions, striding through your study, closing in on the gunman who looks like he’s just seen something otherworldly. Which, with the information you had just obtained, you hoped to god wasn’t the damn brat hurt or worse. 

“Captain! She’s in her training grounds, but the kid-” He pauses, his next words sending a cold chill down your spine. “The kid isn’t human.” 

Oh for fuck’s sake. Of course, of course something like this would happen. You had your crewmate watching her, and she still managed to somehow cause trouble. 

“Yassop. Let’s go.” Your words were cold, stern, leaving no room for questioning. You had a troublemaker you had to help, and you only hoped that Mihawk wouldn’t arrive soon, but looking at the setting sun in the sky, you had a suspicious doubt that he was already here.   
\--


	28. Chapter 28

Ruse POV 

Paws. With fur. Silver fur, and paws, elongated claws tipped where your fingernails once were. You looked down at your silver-clad paw, blinked, continued to stare and did what any reasonable person would do and proceed to scream. Or whine? Bark, yelp? You didn’t know what to call it, but you were screaming internally and making a weird-yelp like noise externally.

You had somehow pictured a wolf in your mind so hard that you became one. Looking down, still yelping and barking and whining with panic, you see that the rest of your body is covered with the same coloring silver and white as your hair, limbs lean and limber, a long bushy tail where your lower back would be. You crane your head down, trying to see if this canine body was really yours, feeling a soft ruffling against your ears as you brush your head against the dirt, oh those were not human ears, fur-rimmed and sensitive, and let’s just say, you were thoroughly terrified. What if you were stuck like this? The devil fruit had literally turned you into a wolf! How ironic, and rather dull. No over-the-top features, just a regular wolf’s body as far as you could tell, and that was rather disappointing. So much for the warning that came with the damn thing, if this was all it could do, you didn’t really understand why it was so dangerous.

A shadow looms above you, as you continue to lean your head down to observe your canine body, the shadow going unnoticed. The sun had just begun to set, orange hues dipping into the ocean, and you perk up, hearing footsteps, about time that the rest of the crew came back. Your head whips towards the approaching figure ahead of you, ears perking up with interest, thinking it was Yassop or Shanks. But as the figure continues to approach, now five feet in front of you you can see that it is not who you thought it would be. A familiar feathered hat, half-opened long coat, dark hair and piercing golden eyes, an unreadable expression on his handsome face, is Mihawk Dracule. What was he doing here?  
\--  
Mihawk POV 

After hearing from Red-Hair you cursed, quickly throwing on your coat, pulling your boots on, hurriedly rushing to your raft. Damn Red-Hair getting into trouble again, of course he would call you to ask about a plausible solution. You growl in frustration, untying your raft, setting your compass as you make your way to Foosha, hoping that you would be able to make it in time. 

The waves crash against the rocky shoreline as you dock, leaping from your raft with ease, landing on the familiar sands of Foosha. Your golden eyes narrow as you spot what looks to be a large canine, crying out in a panicked whine. Ah, of course. You sigh, making your way over to the canine, already knowing that this large hound was most likely Ruse D. Argenti. How she had stumbled across the Okami Okami no Mi was beyond you, but you knew that if she had eaten it, she was most definitely not safe around civilians until she got it under control. From her whining and loud yelps of surprise, you had guessed she had just recently activated her devil fruit’s powers, likely by mistake. 

As you continue to approach her, you can see her fur is silver, form larger than an average hound, easily towering over a regular man’s height. Her silver fur glimmered, seemingly otherworldly, large fur-rimmed ears swiveling in interest at his arrival. She turned to look at you, golden eyes wide as her jaws dropped slightly, razor-sharp fangs gleaming from a distance. You had to be cautious, it was likely she wasn’t aware of her stature, and you only hoped she would be amiable. Instead, as her golden gaze locked onto you, a brief moment of surprise flickering across her canine features, tail wagging back and forth, she grinned at you, teeth stretching into a wide cheerful snarl, as she charged. 

You swore softly, choosing to try and sidestep her larger form, but failing to realize that she had overestimated her jump, knocking the both of you to the ground. 

The air whooshed out of you, as you groan, laying flat on your back with a two hundred pound wolf on top of you, tongue rolling out of her mouth lazily as she grinned at you. Her weight wasn’t crushing, but it was slightly suffocating. You glare back into golden eyes filled with mischief as she leans further down, licking your face smugly. 

The warm wetness trails from your face down your chest as she happily wags her tail, snuggling into your bare chest, her paws on either side of you, trapping you effectively. 

“Argenti.” You deadpanned, looking up at the setting sky, cursing your luck. 

“Argenti, do you know how to turn back?” You ask, allowing one hand to slip into her soft fur, carding through it softly. 

She whines, ears flattening as she burrows further into your chest, expression crestfallen.  
Well, looks like you might have more to work with here than you thought. You sigh again, carding your hands through her silver fur in a calming manner. 

Perhaps she simply needed to visualize her human form, and would be able to shift back. 

“Argenti, I need you to do something for me. You need to visualize your human form, visualize your hair, your skin, your teeth turning back to normal. Concentrate.” You look at the human-turned-wolf, giving her a nod as her golden eyes slide shut. You didn’t think she would be able to turn back immediately, so you continue to coach her, telling her to picture her features, running your hand through her fur to ease her troubled mind. 

The warmth from her fur had begun to slowly retract, as you lean forward, watching with rapt curiosity, as her body began to shift back ever so slowly. You chose to remain silent, leaving her to her own mindset so not to disturb her, as her long silver fur slowly shrank into her skin, bones cracking loudly as she shrunk in size, joints creaking with effort. Soon ice cold skin replaced warm fur, long mane of white hair tumbling from her shoulders, as she grinned at you. Her golden eyes meeting your own, a look of sheer happiness on her face, as she wraps her arms around you in a tight embrace. 

“Mihawk! I’m so glad you’re here! Thank you, thank you thank you!” She grins, her lips curving upwards as she smiles against the juncture of your neck. This woman was something else, as you chuckle you reach back up to card your hands through her white mane of hair, almost as soft as the fur that had covered her skin. Her skin, which was now very warm, as you realized that she wasn’t clothed. Oh, she must have lost her clothes through the transformation, you muse. Unfortunately for you, leaving her naked flesh burning hotly against your chest, which was rather distracting if you were to voice your opinions. Curiosity getting the better of you, your gaze briefly dips down to the wide expanse of skin atop your own. Dio e lassu. You struggle not to groan, realizing your internal musing was correct. 

“Argenti. I’m not against the idea, but since you deactivated your devil fruit, I believe you forgot something.” You reply, golden eyes staring back at her as her expression becomes confused, leaning forward, propping her elbows on your chest, ample amount of cleavage now pressing into you temptingly. You wisely keep your gaze on her face, not daring to look down again.

“What’s that Mihawk?” She replies, still confused, not connecting the dots on her state of dress-or rather, undressed. 

You clear your throat, before nodding your head, gesturing at the positioning and long expanse of skin. 

“Ohhhhh for fuck’s sake.” She groans, rumbling through her chest as she hides her embarrassment with her arms. 

“Could I… maybe have your jacket for a minute or two, pretty please?” She asks as she helps you stand, looking around for people as she frantically covers herself. 

You slide off your overcoat, draping it around her small form, pulling the fabric together as you begin to buckle it, a faint blush on your face at the smooth expanse of skin that was just showing. 

“Argenti, what happened?” You ask as you continue to buckle her up, catching a soft scent of vanilla and sandalwood from her neck, pleasantly surprising you. She relays the events of finding the devil fruit, the journal Shanks had, and the sudden transformation which happened. You nod as she continues, telling you that the Okami Okami no Mi was actually something that she and Shanks didn’t have a lot of information on, as you listen to her ramble. The fruit was one you had been interested in for quite some time, as you had been gathering information on it for... well let's just say personal reasons. 

Something red flashes out of the corner of your eye as you look in the direction of the bar, seeing the red-hair pirate and his gunman striding towards you and Ruse in a hurry. You smirk slightly before turning back to face the white maned, golden eyed woman. 

“Alright then Argenti, well after hearing this, I have something that would be beneficial to both you and I. Would you care to listen?” You ask her as she grins up at you, nodding her head, eager to hear what you were propositioning. 

“Since I myself have some information on the Okami Okami no Mi, and being a warlord I would be able to ensure your protection. I would like to ask you if you would come train with me, to better learn how to control your new power and for me to further my knowledge of this devil fruit.” You give her a reassuring smile, aware that the Red Hair and his crew were able to hear, you await her response. 

She flushes, looking down at her hands, seeming to contemplate your offer, before she looks back up at you. Her golden eyes are burning with determination, a fire lit in them as she meets your gaze steadfastly, a crooked grin already curving upwards. 

“Hell’s horns, Mihawk, do you even have to ask? If you can help me with learning how to control this-” She makes a broad gesture with her hand to herself, grin still in place, “Then I’m all yours! If you need to dissect me though, we might have a small disagreement, but other than that, I’ll gladly accept your proposition!” Her husky voice holds a playfulness in it as she grins at you, her golden eyes flashing up at you in gratitude. 

Your golden eyes widen in shock, before you give her a warm smile. Yes, this reckless woman would definitely need some education on both her devil fruit and her rather naïve tendencies. 

“It's settled then, Argenti. But don’t expect me to go easy on you.” You raise your hand to hers, gripping it firmly as you shake hands in agreement.  
\--


	29. Chapter 29

Ruse POV 

Hearing Mihawk ask you if you wanted to spend a couple months training with him was both good and bad news. Good, since it was Mihawk Dracule of all people, but also bad, because it was fucking Mihawk Dracule teaching you. You had heard of his harsh and rather unorthodox teaching requirements, and were both excited and dreading the news. Apparently the swordsman was interested in teaching you for furthering his knowledge of your devil fruit, which you didn't quite understand, but you weren't about to complain. If he was offering to teach you and help train you up to tier to sail the sea, then you were more than willing to give him any information he needed on your devil fruit. The Okami Okami no Mi, it was something that sparked even one of the seven warlords, maybe it was something you needed to learn more about too, after all, you only knew that you had somehow managed to turn into a wolf or canine of some sorts, but weren't too sure of anything else the fruit offered. Maybe you'd learn something that would help you in the future, it would be stupid to not accept Mihawk's help, though you still were somewhat suspicious of why a great swordsman like himself needed information on a devil fruit, you were thankful for his offer.

“So, when do we start? I’d imagine Red probably wants to keep me on a tight leash, so I’ll go ahead and suggest we just book it as soon as we can before he finds out. It’ll be fun!” You cheekily grin up at your new sensei, as he shakes his head, already regretting his decisions. 

“No Argenti, Red-Hair has to be informed first, after all, he is your keeper, right Red-Hair?” Mihawk throws a smirk towards the redhead pirate and his crewmate coming closer to the two of you. Uh-oh. You really hoped Shanks didn’t hear what you said. 

“Oi, kid. Heard you were trying to leave without saying goodbye huh? How cold.” Shanks voice is light and carefree but has an undertone in it. You swallow nervously. That’s not the light and carefree voice of the redhead, that’s the callously sarcastic one that he uses on unruly crewmates, you included. 

“Ohhhhh for fuck’s sake.” You murmur before turning towards your companion, a huge grin on your face as you sweat nervously. “Heya Red! What a coincidence seeing you here huh? Imagine that! Ha, ha.” Shanks levels you with an unimpressed glare. Yeah, he totally didn’t buy that. You curse softly, as Mihawk watches the exchange, his lips upturned in a smirk, that smug bastard. He totally knew Shanks was there the whole time! Curse his stupid keen eyes and his stoic expressions. 

“Well, Mihawk here was just telling me about how he wanted to take me under his wing for a bit, get that damn devil fruit under control, sounds like a good idea to me, right Red?” You continue, grinning at him, adamantly ignoring Yassop’s slack jaw, steering your attention directly at Shanks instead. The redhead pirate shakes his head, letting out a long groan of exasperation, muttering something inaudible, before he claps a hand on the small of your back, a smirk suddenly replacing the grimace on his ruggedly handsome face, damn him. That sudden attitude change did not sit well with you. The warmth of his hand on your back was pleasant, but in the warm gesture you could feel a warning. As if he was trying to let you know that no matter where you went, he would always be there for you, even if you didn’t think you would need his help. You weren’t sure if you were flattered, offended or a mixture of both.

“Ya know what, kid? I think that sounds like a swell idea, in fact, why don’t you get packed up now so I can talk to Mihawk here about what he should help you focus on huh?” Shanks seems oddly cheerful for someone who you thought wouldn’t let you go unsupervised for a single minute. You frown, but decide to think about that later, shrugging your shoulders as you nod towards the two men, Yassop still watching the scene unfold with the same slack expression on his face. 

You chuckle, but after seeing two pairs of eyes lock on to you, one gold and impassive, the other a steely grey with mirth and something else you couldn’t make out. You straighten, saluting Red and begin heading back to Party’s Bar to grab your belongings.   
Looks like you were about to set off on your own adventure, away from Foosha, away from Shanks, away from home. You smiled softly, sure you would miss this town and the people here that you grew to love, but you were ready to start the next step on your journey.


	30. Chapter 30

Shanks POV (3rd Person)

Ruse D. Argenti was definitely not like most women, she was the personification of the wind he felt on the sea, untamed, free and wild. And unfortunately he knew that meant that he had to let her go eventually. Shanks didn’t want to, he wanted to keep her with him, safe and protected, but sooner or later he knew that she would leave the nest, in search for her own adventure, her own journey. With a soft smile, the redhead watched her retreating back, white mane of hair swishing behind her smaller form, her walk was confident and steady. 

“Red-hair, I know that she means a lot to you, I will be sure to protect her with everything I have. You have my word, old friend.” Mihawk’s voice drug the redhead out of his thoughts, as he turned to his rival and comrade, a knowing smile on his face. 

“Ah, and I shall keep you to it, old friend. Though with someone like Ruse, well, you may have bitten off more than you can chew this time Mihawk.” He replied, laughing at his friend’s expression. The swordsman had looked thoughtful, and a bit intimidated with the way his brow scrunched before nodding his head in agreement. 

“Argenti is something else, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad one with the way that she carries herself, you needn't remind me, Red-Hair.” He replies, a frown on his face as he ponders the mysterious white-haired woman, her behavior was certainly unlike most women, though he wasn’t sure if he really minded it. 

“Aye, lucky for you though, I think she’s already taken quite a liking to you.” Shanks laughs as he answers, seeing the frown on the swordsman turn into a softer expression, smiling slightly though you’d have to really focus to see the corners of his lips curl upwards. 

“Anyways, you said you were interested in her devil fruit didn’t ya? Why would one of the seven warlords, a dog of the government want anything to do with an upcoming pirate like Ruse?” The red haired pirate tilted his head, confused as to why Mihawk would offer to train Ruse in the first place. Perhaps it was something to do with the marines? The Celestial Dragons? A personal interest? 

“I’ll be sure to inform you once I have gathered enough information on Argenti, as to why I am interested in the Okami Okami no Mi...let's just say it's a personal interest, and I'd be the best fit for her having any luck with her new powers, if she can manage to awaken them. Although I still stand by my statement, she will be safe with me, regardless of the results.” The Italian swordsman replies in favor, choosing to not answer his friend as he watched the white haired woman come running back from Party’s Bar, a full duffel bag slung on her shoulder, bright grin on her face, golden eyes alight with excitement.  
“I believe that should suffice for now Red-Hair, Argenti will be a challenge, but I’m sure I can work with her. We best be off soon, I’d hate to sail back on rough waters.” Mihawk levels a stare with Shanks, the two conversing thoughts silently. 

After a few minutes that felt like decades, the two nod, as the redhead wraps his arm around his friend, giving him a friendly departure gesture. 

The swordsman's nod once more, before going to collect the wild woman, a small smile on his face as he watches her hug her old crew goodbye, stopping at Shanks. 

“Well Red, I’ll be back, and when I do, I’m so gonna challenge you! You better watch out you idiot captain!” She teases him as he laughs good-naturedly, the two staring at each other before she grabs him in a bone-crushing hug, whispering something inaudible as the redhead’s steely grey orbs widen, before they narrow. The two hold each other, a little longer than necessary, before Ruse plants a kiss on her companion’s cheek, grinning as she sees him blush slightly, before she joins her new sensei at the shore. 

“Well sensei, ready to go?” The white haired woman asks Mihawk, who simply shrugs his shoulders, undocking his raft, choosing to not answer the woman. 

She pouts, dragging her Moonflower, coated dinghy she had prior, along with the swordsman.  
“Argenti, let’s go.” Mihawk's golden eyes fix on the woman, gesturing for her to join him.

She grins, taking one last look at Foosha Village, the town she grew to love, the people she admired, the memories she wouldn’t trade for the world. 

“Goodbye for now Foosha, Makino, Shanks, everyone. I’ll be back, and I’ll be even stronger. I’ll become so strong that you won’t need to protect me, I’ll be able to protect you, just you watch.” And with that, the pirate rookie and the world’s greatest swordsman depart, leaving behind the townspeople with the promise of becoming legendary.


	31. Chapter 31

Ruse POV 

The waves rolled beneath the two of you, sea salt tinging the air as you glanced over to Mihawk, contemplating. 

“So Mihawk, can I call you something else? Like...hmm.. Hawk eyes? Nah too cheesy. Man of blades? Nah, that one’s too superficial. How about-” Your face lights up in excitement. “Shishō, since you’re gonna be my teacher!” Golden eyes flit over to you, unamused.

You continue on, prattling about how you’ll be the best student ever, and even be able to surpass him one day. The swordsman chuckles at that, ruffling his hands through your hair, a dark grin on his face as he finally replies to your antics. 

“Argenti, you say you’ll surpass me one day then? I’d like to see you try. I’m no easy feat, and after I’m done training you, you’ll realize just how foolish you are by challenging me, but don’t think that I’ll allow you to forget your promise, now that you’ve challenged me, I’ll remember this from today onwards..” His voice dips lower towards the end, amber-gold eyes narrowed at you, the hands running through your hair mockingly, now tighten a bit. Your golden gaze meets his head on, throwing the swordsman a cocky smirk as you swat his hands away, jutting your chin out slightly as your reply.

“Well Shishō, guess we’ll see, after all, maybe after however many months it takes to train me to my full potential, you’ll regret ever taking me under your wing. Since ya know, I’ll be better than you by then. And if you’re worried I’m gonna want to take back challenging you, then you’re dead wrong, enjoy your title while you can.” Ha, take that Hawkeyes, you smirk as you monologue internally, already picturing the moment you can force the great Mihawk Dracule to his knees, ah what a wonderful visualization. But first you’ll need to survive said swordsman’s training, which you weren’t too eager about if you were honest. Gods forbid if this man just threw you to the metaphorical wolves, laughing as you get your ass kicked like a smug bastard, but he wasn’t Shanks, so chances were he’d probably help you out a bit more than your idiot redhead companion, right? 

As you continue to internally muse, your brain throwing scenarios at you at Mach speed, you fail to see the way Mihawk's golden eyes widen at your reply. His stoic expression faltering, genuine surprise on his face, brows furrowed, lips turned upwards in a small smile. The swordsman stared at you, your prideful stance not seeming to change a bit as you faced against him. You really were something different, totally unlike any of the other women he’d met before. His golden eyes softening a bit in affection before he notices his falter, coughing a bit to hide his mistake, he throws back on his trademark smug smirk, he saved that expression specifically for you, the white haired, golden eyed woman who he couldn't ever get a precise read on, never failing to surprise him with the ever-fluctuating changes and rather eccentric behavior. 

“Guess we’ll have to see when the time comes then Argenti. Now I’ll be taking a short rest, wake me if there’s anything you need, though, you should be able to fend for yourself-” You glare at him as he snickers at your pouting expression, probably thinking of some smug bastard-like taunt. “That is, if you weren’t all just empty words and false bravado. Do wake me if you feel you cannot come up to par though, I’ll be glad to lend some assistance.” And there it was, a smug bastard-like taunt, just like Shanks. 

You growl as you roll your eyes, choosing to not rise to the bait, fixing your gaze on the horizon. The sea was still calm, waves rolling beneath the smaller ship-or raft, whatever kind of ship Mihawk's traveled in, the sun was already setting across the sky, seeming to sink into the open sea around you. Truly, it was a beautiful sight, one you would never tire of. You shot a glance over towards your new companion-teacher, rival? Whatever he was, he was sprawled on his back, feathered hat across his face, sword still slung across him, looking like he had already started his siesta. Typical, leaving you in charge while he was completely unguarded, probably testing out your skills of reliance and all that, Shanks had done something similar before. You chuckle, striding towards the hull of the raft-like ship, green candles glowing as the sun set farther into the sky, darkness enveloping you, leaving you with the presence of the swordsman and dimly glowing candles as you settle against the deck wall, propped up as your eyes scan your surroundings, keen and alert, it was your job now to keep watch throughout the night. Hopefully everything would go smoothly, but knowing your luck and the universe's cruel amusement at seeing you flail about, you were inclined to knowing a bit of danger would be headed after you sooner or later. 

Just perhaps, a bit sooner than you thought. 

\---

Waves of salt water splashes around you as another sea king rises from beneath the raft, soaking your ankles as you barely manage to jump out of the way, cursing loudly. Dammit, this is why you hated being on watch, you always got the worst luck. 

“Hell’s horns! Just go back in the sea and take a nice long nap you absolute goddamn overgrown seahorse!” You shout angrily, your eyes stinging with the saltiness that rose from the spray around you, wiping your lips with the back of your hand, a snarl on your face, golden eyes glaring at the sea king in front of you. 

The damn bastard did remind you of an overgrown seahorse, razor sharp fins protruding from its back and extra appendages sprouting from its curled up iron-like tail, rows of jagged teeth snapping out to try and consume both you and the smaller raft. A very homicidal, raging dangerous overgrown seahorse. 

You grab your two blades from beneath your tunic, tucked safely against your breasts, sliding them out as you grin manically at the seaking. Your target roars again, as you chuckle, shooting a glance over to your sensei, seeing he’s still lounging in the same spot, face still covered by his feathered hat, damn bastard just lazing around while you were left to fend off his raft, what a motivated teacher.

You scoff before focusing back on the seaking, its razor sharp fangs closing in on you as you duck and weave past its scaly flesh, jumping on its back, using your arakhs to keep your body balanced as you continue to climb up the sea monster. More water seeps into your clothes but you grit your teeth, determinedly. You were very hungry and this seaking decided to just offer itself up as a free meal, silver platter and all, and you weren’t about to complain. With an agonizing screech its movements halt, your arakhs slicing into its softer skin around its carotid artery, crimson now covering you in a warm, wet cloak. 

You grin again, scars upturning in a dark smirk as you start to salvage the pieces you can, the rest of its body already returning to the sea, leaving you still a few days worth of rations as you agilely land back on the raft. Mihawk’s was still laying in the same position he had fallen asleep in, you just chuckled and began wrapping up the salvaged meat from the seaking, hands flowing through the movements in habitual ease. The cloth you had packed in your satchel was sturdy enough to wrap around the meat, leaving only a slight scent of salt behind as you pack away the rations, sneaking in a bite or two from your own. Tough and sinewy, not top tier, but seaking always were a bit stringy and difficult to enjoy, though food was food, so you couldn’t really complain. 

With a long sigh you lean back, propping yourself against the sleeping form of your teacher, and begin to clean your arakhs off, the silver metal gleaming softly in the darkening moonlight. Seeing the moon above you, peaking in and out of the low hung clouds overhead, you smile softly. For some reason, looking at the silvery gleam of the crescent shape in the sky brought you some sort of comfort, almost like a sense of longing and homesickness. You lean your head back a little more, nestling into Mihawk's chest as he tenses slightly but relaxes as you sigh softly, nuzzling your cheek into his warmth, your turn to watch was done so he could stop pretending to be asleep and take over whenever he wanted to. 

Your smile widens a bit before you smother down your laughter, instead choosing to press deeper into the warmth of the swordsman, taking comfort in the small things. After all, you had a full stomach, a little swing practice and now a perfectly warm and secure resting spot. Life was good. With a stifled yawn, you stretch your sore muscles a bit, cracking any joints that had tensed up with a couple of loud satisfying pops, before you settle back into your companion, golden eyes closing almost immediately.


	32. Chapter 32

Mihawk’s POV 

Quiet trills of seagulls and waves rolling gently underneath the raft greet you when you awake. You had only meant to ‘sleep’ for a little while, but looks like exhaustion got the better of you. With a small grumble you rise up, slipping your feathered hat from your face as you study your surroundings. The ocean seems calm and quiet, a distant shoreline already within your hawk-eye sight, you turn to study your companion, laying next to you, her arms wrapped around your sides as she smiles softly in her sleep. 

Ruse D Argenti, the woman who had just consumed the legendary Okami Okami no Mi, the devil fruit that not even the government had known whether or not it had existed. Ruse D Argenti, Rayleigh’s daughter, whom the man had been searching avidly for, scoring the sea and land alike for her. A golden eyed untamed wild woman. Long unruly white hair, plush full pink lips, callous hands from working with wares, she wasn't the average lass, that was for sure. Her eyes bothered you, they were golden in contrast to your amber-gold like ones, intelligent, calculating, dangerous. Yet oddly beautiful, entrancing to gaze upon. How had she ended up here, with you, one of the seven warlords of all people? You muse quietly, frowning slightly as you connect the dots. The white maned, silver eyed woman had been traveling with your rival and comrade, Red-Haired Shanks and his crew, but for how long? And why did he take such an interest in her? Aside from her feminine charms and eccentric behavior, how had this young woman ensnared someone who reigned as a yonko? Were they lovers? No, Red-Hair seemed fairly attached to her, but she was younger than most women he’d bed, and from the way they interacted, it almost seemed as if he was in the process or at least debating to court her, not simply bed her and move on. Plus, knowing your rival’s lack of mannerisms, you knew he wouldn’t keep a woman he’d already slept with aboard his ship. The rest of his crew too, seemed as if they had almost respected the woman. Thinking back to your first interaction with Ruse you remembered seeing her openly defy her captain, slinging an arm around Red-Hair who simply let it happen, teasing and joking with his first mate and the others, they acted as if she had been traveling with them for quite a long time to exchange words so easily. How long exactly had Ruse been with the Red-Haired Pirates, and would she go back to them? Shanks himself seemed visibly saddened to see her go, but he hadn’t forced her to stay with him and the rest of the crew, rather he seemed to support her decision to come with you, a knowing smile on his face, as if he knew she’d come back to him. Perhaps they were closer related to one another than you had thought, though with that in mind, he made no stake of claim to you, so Ruse herself might have rejected his advances. Meaning, you had a chance still-no you mustn't think those sorts of thoughts, you only took the woman under your wing because she had something you were intrigued by. Something many would be intrigued by actually.

The Okami Okami no Mi, the Legendary Wolf’s Fruit, said to hold the power of a god, a pagan-like god nonetheless, but still, it was rumored to hold that much power, if not more inside the fruit. The raw and unlimited power of a fierce warrior, something that people had spoken of long ago as fables and folklore, yet she had found it, consumed it even. The government and marines would be frantic to get their hands on her, which is why you had so readily volunteered your services to her. You really could care less of being a government dog, but when they had offered you your position, you had no qualm about accepting, seeing as there was little to no opponents for you to engage with as you had years ago. But now, things were different. Ruse had boldly challenged you, and you could see the fierce glint of determination in those golden-ombre eyes of hers as she stared at you, defiant, proud. Ruse wouldn’t be able to match you, much less beat you as she was now, but perhaps after you had trained her in aspects of fighting and taught her your knowledge of using her devil’s fruit, perhaps she’d be able to surprise you. 

Looking back at Ruse, you smile softly, stroking a lock of her pure white hair from her face. She snuggled closer into you, seeking warmth, her cold fingertips slipping underneath our shirt, sliding up your naked skin, grabbing at your chest. You stiffen, your own amber-like golden eyes darting down to her, was she jesting with you? Her eyes remained closed, breathing evenly in her sleep, no she wasn’t jesting. Damn intolerable woman, she would need to be versed on these sorts of things as well. You sigh, stroking her hair once more, oddly comforted by the feeling. Huh, imagine that. Ruse sighed again before stilling, her hands still caressing your torso, cold and nimble fingers slowing to a stop as she fell deeper into slumber. You bite back a laugh from the sight below you, Ruse stretched across your lap, hands gripping your chest as if in a frantic hold of dear life, a small bit of drool pooling at her lips, a rather comical sight indeed. 

You pull her closer towards you, carefully as to not wake her, and rearranged her to a more comfortable position against you. The lengths you’ve already gone through for this woman, you internally muse, grin stretching across your face as you lean back, feeling somewhat comforted by the fact that this woman was in your lap, and that she had accepted your offer. Gods forbid if anyone else besides the red-hair had gotten to her first, she seemed strangely naïve and a touch innocent for a girl, or rather young woman of her age. 

At her age you already had far too much blood on your hands, choosing to always travel solo and cutting off attachment from others, you had been taught that it had made one weak. You were young though, eager to prove your worth, desperate even. Though Ruse, she wasn’t quite as tainted as you or many others like you were. No, she was much more fragile, untainted by the cruelties in the world. There wasn’t that spark of hatred, of unflinching rage in her eyes like many others. Hers were more childlike, softer than others. Though her scarred jaw, two curved lines etched into her skin on either corner of her lips, that seemed like something that had tainted her. They were clearly cut into her skin, lines curved and too even to be from an accident or fumble. Cruelties of the world huh? You hadn’t asked her where she had gotten them from, nor had she offered to share, so you would wait until she told you, though you doubted you’d like the story. Red-Hair probably knew, but he was him, and you were...well you. You weren’t exactly the most profound at making and keeping comrades like him, though with Ruse, well...you wouldn’t say no to her company, not that you’d ever admit that to her, but you weren’t as cold to her as you normally would be to others. Hmm, perhaps it was because of her abilities to draw people in, her smile and warmth were practically contagious. 

But that was enough about her and her eccentricity, you had offered her your help for a mutual benefit. You would learn more about the legendary fruit, why the government wanted it destroyed, a direct issue from the top dogs that had been mentioned when you were first inducted. They had told everyone in the room that a topic needed to be addressed, in confidentiality, top secret. Showing you and many others a projection of a strange silver fruit, the Okami Okami no Mi, a devil’s fruit. Under no pretext would anyone keep information private if they saw or heard of news from this fruit. For some reason, they wanted it destroyed on sight, never to be spoken about in public, unless in fables and drunken stories. You weren’t sure why they feared the power of the odd devil fruit so much, but if you were able to coax more out of Ruse on how she engaged with it, you could use that to your advantage. Something that higher ups wanted destroyed? Well, now that you had found it, you definitely weren’t giving it up, fruit along with the girl included. Thank gods that she’d been with Red-Hair, because if anyone else had found her, especially after her ingesting the fruit, you shuddered to think about the outcomes, it wouldn’t be pretty. 

Doflamingo would probably use her for scheming, twisting her mind to his will. Crocodile likely would train her under him, a useful if not even a trump card for his own, he’d been rather suspicious last meeting, a dark grin on his face as if he were cooking up something malicious. Boa Hancock likely wouldn’t be interested, though she might catch interest in her womanliness, filling her head with nonsense about feminine wiles and such. Moria would likely not even realize her worth, probably just encase her shadow for his own necessities and such, he was never the brightest, no pun intended. Jinbe was still MIA, so there wasn't that option open. Bartholomew Kuma, he’d likely take no interest in her, leaving her to the marines, which was an even worse option, gods forbid they turn the woman into their own sort of weapon. You never quite agreed with the way they ran rampart, speaking of justice with false tongue, only to perform injustice upon those they thought were lower than them. Rather pesky bunch of hypocrites, though there were a few admirable ones, those that truly did believe in justice and truth, not taking a stance of hypocrisy, even if they were forced to resign or retire. Those were the kinds of marines you tolerated, even respected slightly, though you would never say that. 

Yes, you were the best option from the rest of the warlords to have found Ruse D. Argenti. The daughter of Dark King Rayleigh Silvers, her birthright not even claimed yet, choosing the name Argenti instead, native to your tongue meaning Silver, clever girl. She had given herself a different name, or her caretaker had, so as to not draw notice to her heritage, but you were versed enough to understand what it had meant. Her resemblance strikingly familiar to Rayleigh Silvers, same shade of white hair, same determined even if they were golden-ombre eyes instead of his silver ones, same fiery and demanding spirit. She had much more delicate features though, and pleasant curves hinting of a soon to be developed womanly figure. Thank gods Rayleigh hasn't found her yet, he’d likely slaughter anyone of the opposite gender for even looking at his daughter. Although he wasn’t here, so it really wouldn't hurt to spare a glance or two, you mused smugly. Though, once she had reunited with him, you would be wise enough to know your place. That man was a legend, for a good number of reasons. You were still rather shocked that his daughter of all people was to be your student, not quite sure how she’d made it to this day and age, alive. Ruse D. Argenti, she had the namesake of ‘D’ the initial that was rumored to spark fear in the heart of even gods. What a clever coincidence, Ruse 'D' Argenti having consumed a god-like devil fruit, the two should never be in the same sentence and yet there she was. How clever. And the fact that she's the same woman who is the daughter of Rayleigh Silvers, how clever indeed. 

You glanced back down at the young woman resting in your lap, soft smile still on her face as she snored quietly. This woman was so intriguing, seeming to spark question after question. You smirk slightly, stroking her white mane once more, you were on a quest to find answers, and she seemed to be brimming with them. You would find them, even if it was the last thing you’d do.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly but surely making progress! Sorry for the inconsistency! Love y'all!  
> -Jade <3


	33. Chapter 33

Ruse’s POV 

It was warm, sunlight streaming across your back, a faint scent of roses and spice mixing with the sea salt in the air around you...huh? Why were you moving? You were pretty sure that you had stationed yourself down for a nice long nap before you felt yourself moving again. Oh, wait. The ground was moving, the warm rolling muscled ground- wait a goddamn minute. Your eyes shot open, wide and alert from your abrupt waking. Golden eyes await you, crinkled in amusement as Mihawk smoothly shoves you off his lap, letting you land back on the deck in a soft oomph. What a smug fucking bastard, you thought, glaring angrily up at your new teacher and traveling companion. He just chuckles, still amused at your struggling, and after you had kept watch too! What a gentleman, ha-sarcasm never died, did it? Nope, but chivalry might as well have. With a groan you rise back up, seating yourself in a half-sprawled but more dignified position, stretching with a loud yawn as your stiffened muscles strained from being cramped. 

“Well Shishō, that was one way to wake a girl up, maybe next time you could give me something nicer than a smug grin and shoving me down like a sack of belli, huh?” You retort, shooting Mihawk a half-mustered not fully heated glare as he just shrugs. What a gentleman indeed. 

“Argenti, we’ll be docking soon, so I’d suggest gathering your things and fortifying your mental strength.” He replies, shooting you another smirk as he continues. “I’d say to fortify your physical strength as well, but I honestly think it’s already lacking enough, no need to strain yourself too hard on my account.” 

You growl, shooting him a not-so-kind finger in return, before you start to gather your belongings, choosing to not rise to his taunting. You’d likely do that enough after you started actually training with the swordsman. Rearranging your satchel, you take out one of your journals, studying it intently, stroking the spine with a sense of reluctance and longing. 

You had first received this journal from your caretaker prior to starting out on your own journey, from a kind hearted yet sharp tongued old woman. The woman who named you, the woman who you had loved and respected as your mother, or at least a mother-like figure in your life. Her name was Pyrrha Runesillve, an old hag in the town you were raised in, the only one who had shown you any kindness in the city. She had fiery orange hair, fierce yet warm emerald eyes, a long thin scar across her cheek and wrapping around her neck. You still remember her face like it was yesterday. She had found you out in the cold, snow covered and frost-bitten, a mangey stray, and yet she had taken you into her home, raised you as if you were her own. When you had come knocking on her doorstep, you hadn't expected her to welcome you in with open arms, start a fire and make you a home-cooked meal. She had shown you kindness, giving you shelter, listened to your story of why you were here, who you were, where you were headed. Though, you didn't really have an answer for any of her questions, the kindhearted woman had given you a reason to search for them. You had told her that you were lost, having barely survived from being thrown overboard a ship of some kind, you were too young to remember the details, but she had taken you under her wing, telling you that if you hadn't had a place to call home, she would give you one. Pyrrha had mothered you, and she had loved you. She gave you your name, telling you that you were too clever and quick-witted to not have one of your own, a name that is. You looked up at the green eyed woman with a frizzy orange mane, asking her why a name was so important, why you needed one. She gave you a sad smile, looking out the window of her small house, as if she wondered the same thing. But a week or two later, still unnamed, you had bounded up the stairs to her home, and she had gifted you with something irreplaceable. Your name. She had decided to call you Ruse, and you questioned her what it meant, but she only laughed, telling you that you would grow into the namesake quickly enough. Ruse D. Argenti, the last part of the name was something Pyrrha hadn't given much detail to, except that she knew a 'D' when she saw one, and you were apparently one of those 'D's whatever they were. Argenti she had explained was a foreign name, for a resemble to 'silver' in a foreign tongue, in refence to your ombre strange colored hair. She told you that your genetics had been either a blessing or a curse though you were too young to fully understand her meaning. Pyrrha never let you call her ‘Mother’ though, even though she was a mother to you, at least in your eyes, having not had a mother before you weren't sure why she wouldn't let you call her 'Mom' like the other kids in town would to their parents, but she kept insisting that you refer to her as ‘Ma’am’ or ‘Auntie’ on good days. On bad ones she wouldn’t let you call her anything at all. She was stubborn, hard-headed, and taught you how to sew, how to cook, how to read and write, even how to steal, though she lectured you firmly when you were nearly caught, telling you that the art of thievery was something once taught, never easily learnt, and always there. It was inside each and every single person, nobles and strays alike. Pyrrha hated the nobles, telling you to always catch a pretty coin or two of theirs if you had the chance, though you weren’t quite sure where her hatred came from for the bluebloods. Now you know, the egotistical, hypocritical, two-faced, pampered nobles, they looked down on those who they thought were lesser. They treated them like rats, spouting biased lies and striking down helpless children. You had yet to meet a single good-natured noble, and you honestly were beginning to wonder if they even existed. 

Pyrrha had finally told you one day. You were about fourteen, still young and not quite mature enough yet, but you were insisting on badgering her about why she hated them so much, asking her what they did to deserve such fierce hatred, such loathing. She had finally snapped, tired of your endless questioning, pulling you close to her, her face taunt with sadness, anger, and regret. 

“Because lil Ruse, they took away the love of my life.” You’ll never forget those words, not for a moment that you live. 

After that, she had told you about her late-husband, Joules, a blacksmith in town, her childhood sweetheart. A scraggly older man, kind hearted and honest. It had taken four years before she finally accepted his courting, his stubbornness winning against her own hardheaded refusals finally. Joules and Pyrrha were happy, in love, a couple who only wanted to live their lives peacefully. Joules was working as a blacksmith and Pyrrha working as an innkeeper. Joules was well-liked, an amiable man who seemed to get along with just about everyone in town. Everything was going fine, their marriage had been long and happy, they were content with living the way they were, nobles only stopping by once or twice to cause a ruckus, but aside from that, they were honestly content with their way their lives were. 

Until the nobles had decided to visit more frequently, sometimes causing more trouble than they had prior, slowly but surely making their presence known as foul and selfish. They would trash the bars, burn down artworks from the civilians that displeased them, going as far even as striking down those who tried to voice reason back at them. And then, it happened. The night that a noble had drunkenly stumbled into Joules’ shop, yelling for him to forge him a sword. Joules had tried to calm him down, telling him to come back tomorrow when the man was sober. But the noble was insistent about Joules forging his sword, adamant, yelling at the kind-hearted, honest blacksmith that he would forge him his sword or he would live to regret it. Joules had forced the noble out of his shop, manhandled the drunken man out, bidding him farewell. The next morning, the man stormed into Joule’s workshop, demanding why he had refused to create his sword, yelling and beseeching him. Pyrrha was working her job as an innkeeper, she hadn't been able to arrive in time. The nobleman had grabbed a gun from his side and shot her husband, shot him until he was dead. Over and over, the gunshots rang out, and yet he continued to desecrate his corpse. When Pyrrha arrived to bring her sweet husband his lunch, she only saw a bullet-riddled corpse, Joules had been murdered, and the nobleman was just laughing, standing above his corpse, pouring ale over the man who he had just killed. Pyrrha had tried to charge the man, which is how she ended up with her scar, one huge red angry lash across the side of her face, running down her neck, not killing her, but wounding her greatly. She had been left to mourn her poor husband, alone and ragefully bitter, seeking revenge against the man who had done this cruel act to her and her family. Joules was never given a proper funeral, his body too damaged to be shown to the townsfolk, so she had cremated him, setting his ashes free to the wind. 

Pyrrha had grown more spiteful as she aged, unable to retaliate to the bluebloods that frequented, until she had met you. You had shown up on her doorstep, and when she took you in, she had slowly begun to thaw her rage and malice. Every day she raised you, she gained a piece of her old self back, smiling more often than not, nurturing you as you unknowingly nurtured her in return. Your childlike innocence, your naivety, your compassion. She had indulged you in the craft of thievery, though she warned you to be cautious, and you were. You were ever so cautious until you weren’t. Thinking back of your scars, you rub your jaw roughly, a scowl on your face as you shove that memory aside. You remember that night, after you had slit those pitiful men’s throats, you came home to Pyrrha, covered in blood, a knowing sad smile on her face as she took you into her arms. 

“I did it Auntie, I made sure that the men who hurt you, who hurt me, they’ll never hurt anyone again.” You had promised her, a solemn look in your eyes, your tiny fists clenched. Pyrrha had only looked at you in what you knew to be pity, and yet you swore you saw a flash of pride in her eyes as you told her what had happened. That was the night she had given you this notebook, this journal. Her journal, the one she had received as a gift from Joules. She had yet to write a single line in it, choosing to keep it blank, for fear she would only fill the pages with her regret and solitude. She had given you this journal, her smile soft and warm as she told you to keep it, to treasure it. Pyrrha lived on in this small leather book, and you would one day fill it with pages of your journey. Of your own adventures, not solitude, not regret, but filled with lines of happiness, of hope, of freedom. You smile as you finger through the blank leaves of paper, the scent of daffodils and tiger lilies still present. Pyrrha’s perfume was still engulfing the small leather bound journal. You smile. You’d create your own adventure, you’d make her proud. 

Interrupting your own memories, you had slapped your hands to your cheeks, loudly, causing Mihawk to look over at you, brows drawn up in confusion. You shook your head, a grin on your face as you focused on your present. Worrying and indulging in the past didn’t hurt, but you were on a time track, you needed to get this devil fruit power figured out fast. 

A.) So you could become strong enough to protect yourself. B.) So you could finally set off on your own. C.) So you could kick some serious blueblood and scummy bastard ass. 

And you’d be damned if you’d let anything get in the way. 

“Argenti, we’ve arrived.” Mihawk’s low timbre sounds from beside your shoulder, his breath tickling your skin. Unholy hells, men like him were like cats. Grumpy, smug, and always creeping up on you without even the slightest noise. Shanks was similar, his proud smirk after catching you off guard, ah men were a breed all on their own. You sigh, oh well. Maybe Mihawk wasn’t as bad, just having a rough go at it this time around, hell maybe he just didn’t know how to interact well with a woman. You look over towards the swordsman, gauging his reaction. His golden eyes were dark, a smirk on his face. Guess not. 

His smirk somehow grew larger as you realized too late that you had briefly flinched at his noiseless arrival. You throw the handsome swordsman a glare, swatting at the hands that were running through your hair. Dammit, another thing with men like him is they always pet your hair, like some sort of puppy or kitten or something. Well, you do have the Okami Okami no Mi, so puppy isn’t that far off- oi shut up inner monologue, now’s not the time. 

You huff, before letting Mihawk help you off the raft, his grip firm as he pulls you up to the shore. Your surroundings are bleak, a stormy grey sky now ahead of you, replacing the gentle atmosphere of the day prior, a storm brewing ahead of you. You can scent a wide mixture of aromas from around you, pollen, rust, flora and fauna everywhere. As you look around, your eyes narrow as you see a figure looming in the distance- was that- was that a fucking castle?  
\--


	34. Chapter 34

Mihawk’s POV 

You watched as Ruse got her belongings gathered, pausing to stare sadly at a leather-bound journal briefly before she tucked it carefully in her satchel. Hm, interesting, must be some sort of story behind the sentimental gesture, not that it really mattered though, if Ruse was to train under you, she would need to bury her sentimental platitudes and learn how to mask her emotions. Nothing was more dangerous in battle then having a weak link, an opening for your opponent to strike, and emotions were one of those weak links. You had experienced that first hand, rubbing a small scar on your side momentarily before hopping off your raft, gesturing for Ruse to follow. Her expression was one of disbelief mixed with a tad bit of agitation. Huh, intriguing. Had she never seen a mansion or castle before? Though with her travelling with Red-Hair and his crew, it wasn’t that far off from the truth. He never really took interest in those kinds of things, so you suppose Ruse followed suit after her comrade. You smirk wryly, eager to begin training with your new student. 

“You never told me you were loaded Shishō, damn. Shoulda roomed with you sooner, living in luxury like this-ha yeah right Shishō! Come on, this isn’t really your pad is it?” Ruse questions from behind you, taking in the new surroundings around her.

Her golden eyes are wide and curious, akin to a child finding a new toy. You chuckle as you study her, amused at her reaction. She pouts at you, giving you a half-hearted glare as she picks up her pace to match your own. You slowed down briefly, though it was quite amusing to see her striding forward to match you, you felt a twinge of guilt and gave her a small moment to catch up. 

“Ah, well Argenti, you know what they say.” You quirk a brow at her teasingly before continuing. “It’s not the hands that build the home, but the heart.” She scoffs at your teasing and counters you easily. 

“Yeah well if that were true then you must have a pretty empty home.” Oh, so she was capable of matching your humor. You grin, already looking forward to spending time with the feisty young woman. 

She grumbled the whole time you were both making your way to your home. For each comment you heard you quipped back a reply, encouraging her impulsive nature, sometimes pausing to look back at her with an analyzing stare to which she casually ignored. But you saw Ruse doing the same when she thought you weren’t looking, how amusing. Spending time with Ruse D. Argenti may be difficult and at times tiring, but it was time well spent. She made you laugh, scowl, express a variety of emotions you weren’t used to allowing to slip past your usual stoic demeanor. She had piqued your interest, and you weren’t quite sure if it was a positive or negative effect on you. At least, not yet, though with time you were sure you would find your answer. 

“Simplicity carried to an extreme, creates elegance Argenti, you are a prime example of that.” You reply, hiding a grin behind your hand as she rolls her eyes at you, attempting to what seemed to be her trying to mimic you behind your back, how childish. 

Ruse would prove to be an interesting student, a rare exception for you, something wild and untamed, full of untapped potential. She already had more than enough redeeming qualities, but she would have to learn self-discipline, self-restraint. She was naturally agile, you had noticed. Her posture was proud, yet she walked with a sense of caution at the same time, fitting of a pirate. Awareness, agility, strength. She carried herself the way a mercenary would. Her back straight, feet only touching the ground where they needed to, hands tucked to her sides, but tense, ready to react if needed. Her movements were calculated, as she had been on high alert from the very start, and yet she had masked it with her constant firing of questions to you, any regular onlooker would be too wrapped up in her verbal quips to notice that she was taunt, poised, ready to strike. She was as dangerous as a live-wire, easily able to snap the moment she needed or wanted to. You studied her again, more intently, noticing the way she placed herself, not wasting any movement for unnecessary qualms, how intriguing. You wondered where she had picked that trait up from, Red-Hair didn't seem the type to teach her those sort of things. Perhaps though, he or one of his crewmates had versed her in the practice, or there was a slight chance she had been self-taught, but that notion was rather dark, one should not have to verse themselves, especially a young woman, on the art of killing. It was chilling to think about, Ruse had yet to reveal much of her past, so you weren't fully aware of what the woman had been through, though with time she would likely open up a bit more to you. 

You could already tell she was going to be different than others you had tried to teach. Her stubbornness, her impulsiveness, her quick wit, her vigor. She was something else, she had an overwhelming presence demanding to be noticed and yet, she wasn’t even aware of her own charisma, her own aura in a way. You continue to study her as you walk, filing away information as she carries on with a one-sided conversation. Yes, Ruse would be a challenge, but you hadn’t had a challenge in quite some time, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t eager to see the results.  
\---


	35. Chapter 35

Ruse’s POV

After getting to Mihawk’s base, or home whatever he wanted to call it, you let out a sigh of relief. Finally, you were exhausted, grimy, and hungry. Your stomach growled at you angrily, and you glared down at your midsection. “Oi, don’t go getting any ideas there ya bastard. I’ll get you some food in a little bit.” You reprimand yourself, noticing Mihawk watching you amusedly. Damn bastard thought it was funny huh? Of course he did, Shanks did the same thing, but it’s not like you could help it! After all, your metabolism was abnormally high, seemingly to have a black hole of a void for your stomach instead of the normal eating habits as normal people. 

Hmm...Speaking of food though…

“Oi Shishō, what’s for dinner? I’m fucking starved.” You ask your teacher, who simply answers with his weird facial expression. Men. You facepalm as he refuses to give you any verbal confirmation, deciding to take things in your own hands. If he wouldn’t tell you, you’d find it yourself. 

You sigh, before venturing towards a wide area in the hallways, looking for the kitchen or dining area. It had to be around here somewhere, just following your nose was usually good enough, but it took a bit more than just your keen sense of smell to pin down the location. You frown slightly as you continue to try and pick up the scent of a warm appetizing meal, finally able to pick up a faint trace of wheat and citrus. Aha! You strode into the kitchen area, a triumphant smile on your face as you let out a yell of victory. Mihawk was following behind you, seemingly enjoying your little quips and gestures. 

But this man clearly didn’t expect you to find his food source as fast as you had. He gave you a slightly shocked stare after you seemingly teleported into his dining area, a silver flash disappearing before his eyes, the outline of your frame seeming to leave a phantom afterimage behind. You still had the same huge grin on your face as you started to chow down on any available items lying around. Finders, keepers Mihawk. You shot him a smug smile as he walked in after you, his face still portraying a bit of shock and confusion at your antics, but he didn’t let his expression stay that way for long. Now he had started to have a dark grin creeping on his face after a minute or two, Uh oh. What was that look for? You gulp nervously, still shoving food in your mouth as you start to sweat, his golden eyes narrowed on you in an analyzing stare. He continued to observe you as you kept auto-piloting your motor functions, shoveling a piece of toast in your mouth as you picked up a pre-made glass of orange juice with the other hand. Wheat and citrus, well, your nose never was wrong.

Finally after a moment of intense staring, he lets out a low chuckle. Yikes, that did not sound good, why was he laughing at you? You still continued to force more wheat down your throat, darting your eyes back over to him, was he closer than before? Nah, you were probably imaging that. You swallow thickly, clearing your throat once more after almost choking on some of the toast, lifting the glass back to our lips. Mihawk was definitely closer than before...you look up timidly. He was towering over you now, seemingly have moved at light speed, how the fuck did he get so close to you within mere seconds? You sweat drop slightly, setting down your now empty glass, and grin nervously at your teacher.

“Ahaha, yeah that was a good meal, huh Shishō?” You scratch your cheek, looking back at your teacher who still is grinning at you darkly. Scary! You chuckle lightly to try and break the tension, eyes darting frantically to find the nearest exit. As soon as you dart your eyes back to Mihawk though, you notice that he had leaned further into your personal space, his breath was tickling your face, a faint scent of cinnamon and roses.

“Ah...gomen Shishō, was that your meal...by...any chance?” You squeak out, voice lowering after each syllable. You now realized why he was grinning at you with a faint hint of malice. You had just inhaled his dinner in five minutes flat, who wouldn’t be pissed? The swordsman lets his laughter trail off as you pale, his grin fading away, leaving only a leveled stoic glare. 

“That it was Argenti. How observant of you. I shall give you five seconds.” He replied smoothly, his voice crisp as a winter chill, frigid and devoid of any warmth. Five seconds?! Five seconds for what? 

“Five,”

“Four.” 

Oh for all that was unholy, this man was counting down. Counting down five seconds, as your leeway. You instantly darted up, fleeing from the dining area, feet carrying you as swiftly and as fast as they possibly could. 

“Three.” 

Hell’s horns, three seconds until your inevitable death. Doom. Demise. Mihawk Dracule was officially the scariest teacher you had ever met. No way in hell would you get used to this, that is if you managed to escape him. He didn’t get dubbed as “Hawk-eye Mihawk” for nothing. You internally scream in panic as you scramble to find anywhere to hide, knowing he’d be able to catch you at any given moment, hiding was the best solution. He was an ideal undefeated swordsmen, one of the seven shibaku, and more importantly...Mihawk fucking Dracule. No way in hell were you going to try and outrun him. You were better off trying to hide your presence then try and flee. 

“Two.”

You let out a yelp of panic and desperation, eyes locking on a door that was barely ajar, deciding to say fuck it, and jump into the room. You closed the door as quietly as possible, before turning to survey your new surroundings. There was a large mahogany desk in the center of the room, papers stacked neatly in three separate piles, two feathered quills resting on the desk, one was dipped in ink while the other seemed untouched. Apart from the large desk and chair in the center of the room there was a single window towards the back of the room. An opening! Yes! Score for Ruse! You grin, before hearing Mihawk from the dining area, his voice crispy and even, a tinge of danger in his smooth timbre. Yikes. No thank you, you wanted to live another day! Don’t come in here Shishō! Please, please, please. You internally beg any deity that was listening, though you doubted they would hear you. 

You gulp nervously, eyes darting frantically around the room, seeing no other place to hide than underneath the desk. Ah, well you better write your will now, you weren’t going to live much longer. 

“One. Here I come Argenti. You better not run, it’ll only make it worse for you.” Mihawk calls out sweetly as you hear the echoing of footsteps. 

You try to even out your rapid breathing, finally willing yourself to calm down and blend in with the environment. Hiding your presence shouldn’t be that difficult, you had done it before, hell you were able to do it so well apparently that even your parents couldn’t find you, ha. With a bitter smile you shake your head, clearing out any unwanted thoughts, focusing intensely on concealing yourself. You were a part of this room, a part of the desk that you were pressed against. You sigh softly through your nose, closing your eyes and steadying your galloping heart to a slow and even pace. Slower. Slower. Slower. You sink further into your consciousness, melding yourself into the mahogany your skin was pressing into. 

You hear a quiet creak of the door opening, and momentarily halt, before chastising yourself and returning back to your mindscape. Slower. Slower. Your heartbeat which was previously thundering in your ears now seemed to be barely beating at all. You controlled your breathing to a steady rhythm. Golden eyes closed gently, sinking further into your consciousness. The footsteps got closer, closer, closer. They paused at the foot of the desk, and you could hear Mihawk’s rhythmic breathing, his voice low and steady, a bit of playfulness mixed in with it. 

“Argenti, I know you’re in here. Don’t bother hiding, we both know you’re not hidden well.” Your teacher mocked you as you glare, but keep your emotions under control. Losing your control would automatically give away your position. The footsteps continue after a brief pause, walking over towards the opposite side of the room, his boots echoing each step that he takes. Your heart jumps momentarily as you hear him murmur under his breath. 

“Dammit Argenti, we both know you could never hide from me, where are you, you vexing woman?” His voice is laced with agitation, the playfulness gone as he begins to search the room throughout. You almost let out a yelp of surprise as he ducks his head suddenly under the desk, golden eyes much akin to your own, gleaming from above you as he stares….right through you? Was he jesting with you? Pretending not to see you, right in front of his eyes? You growl lowly, as his eyes fixate back on to your form, your ombre eyes glaring at him with a look of contemptment. Mihawk falters, jumping back slightly in surprise. Huh? Was he really going about theatrics now? And he was supposed to be the teacher, haa. How immature. 

“Really Shishō? I know you were vexed but you didn’t have to pretend to not see me. Baka birdbrain.” You scowl as you rise from your hiding place, stretching your legs to get out any cramping joint pains. Mihawk looks back at you, bewilderment spreading across his face. 

““Uhh...Shishō?” You question, forgetting your momentary anger, remembering exactly why you were hiding in the first place. He continues to stare at you, jaw slack, anger seemingly gone.

“Mihawk?” You question again, using his name instead of the nickname, his expression still a mixture of shock and amazement. What was he freaking out about?

“Argenti, how did you do that?” Your teacher questions you, speaking finally after his prolonged silence. 

“Do what Shishō?” You reply, tilting your head to the side, a bit confused on what he was asking you. 

“You just...you just used Haki Ruse.” Mihawk replies, golden eyes slightly narrowing a bit in a bout of thoughtfulness.

“Haki?” You question, parroting him as you look down at yourself confused. Your devil fruit hadn’t activated, and no fur had sprouted nor any extra appendages. What was he talking about? 

“Ruse. We need to talk, right now.” Mihawk answers, encircling your wrist in his hand as he begins to lead you to another room in his castle-like mansion. 

What was all this about? You wonder to yourself as you begrudgingly follow along, a little intrigued yourself. Haki huh? Sounded kinda interesting.  
\---


	36. Chapter 36

Mihawk’s POV 

Watching the young woman inhale your dinner wasn’t exactly the way you had imagined the day going. Figures that of all people it would be Ruse D. Argenti to have the audacity to do that so openly in front of you. In fact, she had continued to shovel your meal into her mouth whilst making direct eye contact with you, how saucy. Wherever did she get the idea that the meal set out on the dining table was hers? Or was she aware that she had devoured your dinner, hoping to get a rise out of you? As you continued to watch her eat, quite disgracefully not to mention, you studied her before deciding that no, she did not do this to spite you. She was simply just that dense. Of course someone with a great amount of untapped potential would lack common sense, of course. You sigh dejectedly. Even more salt to add to the wound was that you shared the same eyes as her, now you were seeing yourself in her place, shaking your head disappointedly. Ruse had proceeded to clean off your plate, then started to reach for your glass of orange juice, oho? Was she going that far, really? Truly? 

“Ahaha, yeah that was a good meal, huh Shishō?” Ruse states proudly, smiling as she reaches further for the drink in front of her. 

You grin darkly, an idea forming as you begin to slowly approach her, footsteps silent and stealthy. She picks up your glass, downing the drink in seconds, her eyes bright and appetite satisfied, giving you a beaming smile. You chuckle, in annoyance and a little bit of amusement, that woman may be vexing as hell, but she was quite entertaining to be fair. Ruse’s face immediately pales, noticing you prowling, looking at the table, back at you, back at the table, back at you. She lets out a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek in a sheepish mannerism, her eyes downcast as she finally starts to connect the dots. 

“Ah...gomen Shishō, was that your meal...by...any chance?” She mumbles out, her voice slowly losing its vigor after each word she says, a look of shame crossing her face. Ruse looked a bit like a kicked puppy, her face crestfallen, eyes downcast, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. All of which no, you did not find the least bit adorable, not even a little bit. Obviously. 

You decided to tease her a bit, a dark smirk on your face as you enclose on her, your breath tickling her cheek, her pupils were dilated, golden-ombre gleaming back at your own amber-gold orbs. Hmm, she was quite amusing to study, her face bright red with shame and voice faltering with embarrassment. You decided the best course of action would be to give her a chance to react to the situation at hand, eager to know what she would decide to do. 

“That it was Argenti. I shall give you five seconds.” You reply, keeping your voice flat and icy, devoid of any warmth, narrowing your eyes at her as she looks up at you, confusion evident on her face. 

“Five.” You continue, not bothering to explain. Ruse tilts her head, trying to figure out what you mean.

“Four.” You press forward, arching an eyebrow at her as she suddenly gasps, recognizing finally that you were giving her a countdown. What an amusing woman.

You laugh lightly as you watch her dart from the dining area, disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving behind an afterimage of a silver blur. Perhaps it was because of her hair or maybe it was how agile she was, but it was quite an interesting sight, not many had the swiftness to leave behind a phantom blur of themselves. Speed must be an enhanced quality of hers then, seeing how it came to her so naturally, perhaps she had an affinity for it. You suppose you could always teach her more about that sort of thing at a later date, but maybe it would be a good idea to teach her of it sooner rather than later. It could prove to be a useful skill for her when properly used. You shake those thoughts from your head, focusing instead on the current situation at hand. 

“Three.” You pause, giving a leeway for her to further herself from you a bit more. 

“Two.” Another pause. 

“One.” You grin, before starting to trail after the troublesome woman. How amusing, indeed.  
\---  
You listened intently for her echoing footsteps, her breathing, the click of fingernails against door frames, yet you heard...nothing. Silence. How peculiar, perhaps she was better trained than you initially thought, you muse, continuing throughout the hallway, looking for any evidence she left behind. Aha, there it was. Your golden eyes narrow as you fixate on your study room, the door ajar slightly, that must be where she went. You grin once more before alerting Ruse that you were on her trail. 

As you step into your study your eyes dart around the room, looking for where she was concealing herself, it shouldn’t be that difficult to find one woman in such a small space, there weren’t very many options of hiding here. How unlucky for her, you chuckle as you call out for her, taunting her to respond. Silence meeting your words, hmm. She was a clever one, that was for sure. You try once more, calling out to Ruse, eager for her to jump from where she was hiding, anticipating her reaction. 

“Argenti, I know you’re in here. Don’t bother hiding, we both know you’re not hidden well.” You mock, ears perked up for any sign of reaction, yet again being met with silence. Huh, that was interesting, most would respond with their own accords, pride too important to not defend. She was a smart lass, that was for sure, maybe it wasn't that bad that you shared the same eyes.

You frown, beginning to search the areas in the office room, peering into the curtains. Nothing. Poking around the cabinets. Nothing. Reaching behind the door, perhaps she was there? Nothing yet again. You were beginning to grow annoyed, before you duck your head under your desk, she had to be here then. And yet, nothing? Where could she be? Furrowing your brows you peer into the empty darkness, where the hell could that woman have run off to? Maybe she had purposely baited you with leaving the door ajar to your study? Had she anticipated you taking the bait, choosing to hide herself elsewhere whilst you searched the empty room?

You growl, a bit more annoyed as you start to get up from peering under your desk. “Dammit Argenti, we both know you could never hide from me, where are you, you vexing woman?” You were about to rise fully from your spot before you heard a feminine growl responding to your own. How? You had just looked there, you had searched the entire room, and yet you had missed her, right in front of your very eyes? Ruse glares back up at you as you stare at her, eyes wide in shock. Her golden orbs are alight with agitation, a frown on her face as she sighs. 

“Really Shishō? I know you were vexed but you didn’t have to pretend to not see me. Baka birdbrain.” Ruse sounds a bit crestfallen, but you were still trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. She continued to glare at you, but her eyes softened a bit as she noticed your expression. 

“Uhh. Shishō?” She tries again, but you continue to rerun the situation that just unfolded in front of you in your mind, confused at what just happened. You, Mihawk Dracule, didn’t see her? In front of your very own eyes? There was only one solution to that equation, and you weren’t sure whether to be proud or to be annoyed, or a mixture of both. 

“Mihawk?” Ruse asks again, biting her lower lip in worry as she looks back at you, her head tilted in confusion at your perplexed expression. She rises from her spot underneath your desk, and you help her to her feet, looking back at her once more in wonder. 

“Argenti, how did you do that?” You ask, finally responding to your newest student, who looks at you puzzled. 

“Do what Shishō?” Asks Ruse, her confusion still evident, so she had used it unconsciously? 

Truly, she never fails to surprise you. Ruse D. Argenti, just who, or rather just what, are you? You ponder as you stare at her. Perplexed, confused, amazed? You weren’t sure what you were feeling right now, but what you did know was that Ruse was most definitely brimming with talent. 

“You...you just used Haki Ruse.” You answer her, a small grin appearing on your face as you assess the woman in front of you. 

“Haki?” She answers, still just as confused as she was prior. You chuckle lightly as you encircle your hand around her wrist, guiding her towards the main hall. 

“Ruse. We need to talk, right now.” She nods, allowing you to guide her from the study to a larger space in your mansion.

“Argenti, you truly never fail to surprise me.” You murmur as you direct her to the main hall. 

Then again, a D will always overcome anything thrown their way, bringing a storm with them. 

You look back at the white haired, golden eyed young woman you had been entrusted with, pondering internally. 

Just what storm will you bring Ruse D. Argenti?  
\---


	37. Chapter 37

Ruse’s POV 

Haki, a form of mysterious power born from spiritual energy that grants the user power in three different ways. To achieve Haki, one must first have a strong spiritual prowess, a goal, dedication, determination. There were three different types of Haki, which Mihawk had explained to you as he sat you down in the main hall, pulling out a heap of dusty old books, plopping them in your lap before nodding to you, as if encouraging you to read the material he just provided you with. You had been studying the books in front of you for a couple hours already, yet they were strangely fascinating. You learnt that the three types of Haki were listed in the book as: 

Armament Haki, also known as Busoshoku Haki: Allows the user to cover their body with an invisible sense of armor, spiritual armor that shields attacks, or even enforces an attack, roughly put. Once fully able to use this Haki, the user can even cover their whole body with Armament Haki. Can be used on logia-type devil fruit eaters, commonly used at both a defensive move and yet also commonly used as an offensive move. 

Observation Haki, also known as Kenbunshoku Haki: Allows the user to see and perceive things most people would normally not be able to see. Once fully trained in this type of Haki, it can even be used to briefly glimpse into the future. Roughly put, allows the user to see ‘invisible enemies, allies, movements, etc.’ as a foresight type of Haki.

Conqueror's Haki, also known as Haoshoku Haki: Allows the user to intimidate or even incapacitate enemies, not much is known about this Haki since it is extremely rare, only a select few people have obtained this type of Haki. Roughly put, if one’s willpower is strong enough then this Haki allows the willpower to be turned into spiritual strength, a strong and versatile Haki. 

The book had gone into more depth as you proceeded to continue to read, fascinated by the new information that you were soaking up. Mihawk had been resting in a lounge chair nearby, glancing up at you occasionally to see how much progress you had made, giving you a warm smile as you grinned at him, thanking him for his guidance. He was a rather strange one, but he was your teacher now, so you might as well learn everything you possibly can from him. After all, not too many people could say they were the students of the world’s greatest swordsmen, so that was always an additional bonus. You had already immersed yourself in the books sprawled out around you, failing to see that your teacher had been glancing back at you every couple of minutes, studying you intently. His warm golden eyes had softened as he saw your dedication, flying through the pages almost faster than he had originally. You hum excitedly as you pick up the next book, dusting off any dirt from the cover, studying the title before opening it. 

“The Art of Swordplay” 

Huh, interesting. You look up at your teacher, grinning at him mischievously as you hold up the book in hand, gesturing at it while wagging your eyebrows. 

“Oi, Shishō, this looks interesting, We should play with some of your swords. Teach me the way of a perfect model gentleman will you? Pretty please?” You bat your eyelashes as you try and maintain your innocent expression but you couldn’t hold it for long. Laughter rings out around the room, as you giggle, immensely amused by the innuendos in this book. Mihawk looks at you exasperatedly, a faint blush tinging his cheeks before he coughs, clearing his throat. 

“Argenti.” He glares at you, most likely vexed that you somehow insulted him and flirted with him at the same time, what could you say though? It was a talent. You grin back at him, blinking your golden eyes coyly in a fashion of false innocence. 

“Yes Shishō?” You urge him on, stifling a bubble of laughter as he sighs before rubbing his face, likely tired of your antics. You snicker, lifting yourself up from your previous seat, slinking over to your teacher. 

“Aww…c’mon, just a little. I mean, you’re the best of the best aren’t you? You only have to show me a little...just the tip, c’mon, what’s the harm?” You couldn’t help but chuckle as you see him flush, averting his eyes as he turns away from you. Aww, that was too precious. You lean further into his space, books forgotten, a new mission in mind. 

Mihawk Dracule was a very handsome man, a proud man, though a man nonetheless, why was he the one blushing right now? Was he really that pure? You gasp, maybe he just had been so focused on learning the art of the sword that he never had time for women! How sad, you sigh in sympathy for the man. And then you formulate a clever little idea, leveling him with a pointed look before grinning evilly as you slowly sidle closer to him. His golden eyes narrow as you creep closer, shooting you a look of ‘don’t you dare.’ You reply with a cheeky grin of your own before he glares at you, so grouchy. You sigh dramatically, then you nod as if you had given up. But you were Ruse D. Argenti, if you wanted to get something done, nothing could stop you! With that in mind, you dart out your hand, wrapping it around the hidden blade tucked under his belt you had spotted earlier. Mihawk lets out a soft noise of surprise, hands clenching from his sides as he glares harder, which you pointedly ignore in favor of pulling the rest of the blade out. A twelve inch dagger, encrusted with a small ruby at the hilt, silver metal gleaming softly back up at you. How beautiful. You let out a low whistle in appreciation.

“Woah Shishō, this is gorgeous. Where’d you get her at?” You question, perched atop the arm of the lounge chair next to the man in question. No response. Huh? Did he not hear you? You try again, leaning closer towards your teacher, your mouth inches away from his ear, that way he couldn’t say he hadn’t heard you. He had a scent of cinnamon and roses coming from him. Peculiar, but not a bad scent necessarily, in fact it smelt quite good. Pleasant on your already sensitive nose. Huh, you wondered if he used a cologne or if he naturally smelled that good. Would that be a weird question? Most likely. Your sense of smell had already been acutely accurate, though with your devil fruit you had recently eaten, you wondered if it had empowered your senses. Speaking of weird questions, you still had yet to ask him why the both of you shared the same eye color, or at the very least, a very similar coloring...it was a bit perplexing. Guess you'll just wait to ask until tomorrow. 

“Shishō, you’re not upset are you?” You ask, feeling playful as he continues to ignore you, glaring up at the ceiling, sighing dejectedly. What was his problem? You shrug as you continue to observe the dagger, caressing the cold metal with your hands, careful to not nick yourself on the edge of the blade. It was actually very beautiful in all fairness, you turn it over, looking for any engravings or some sort of emblem, yet saw nothing. Huh, oh well, it was still a wicked looking blade. 

You glance back at Mihawk, still in the same position, looking as if he were cursing the gods. His golden eyes burning, jaw clenched tightly, was it in anger? Huh, well, it's not like he had said anything to you in response, how were you supposed to know? His hands were still curled tightly against his sides, breath uneven, a growl building up from his chest, rumbling lowly. With another grin you slip the dagger back in the spot it belonged, cautious to not nick your teacher as you tuck in underneath his belt. He breathes heavily as you finish placing the dagger to its rightful place, tossing him a sly smile. 

“Well then Shishō, I’m gonna take some of this up to my room for some light reading. Good night Swordmaster.” You laugh as you tease him, patting his leg in a comforting gesture and proceed to gather up the books. Then without looking back, you make your way to your room he had shown you earlier. 

Hopefully by tomorrow your teacher would regain his bearings, but even if he didn’t it wouldn't bother you too much. After all, without Shanks you hadn’t had anyone to tease or banter with, maybe Mihawk would be able to keep up with your shenanigans. Either way, tomorrow was going to be your first real day of training, it's not like it could be that bad, right?  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally got our Haki introduced for Ruse! Hecking rad :) 
> 
> The typing she used was a variation of Observant Haki, reading in the description above from the chapter it would work in a very similar fashion as detecting invisible enemies/allies/movements etc. so in this book, I figured it could also be used the same way for oneself (At least that's my hypothesis for observant Haki usage when it is awakened in a sense, think of Gon using his Zetsu abilities from H x H)
> 
> Trying to keep the ships open-ended for now since not everyone has been introduced yet, leave a comment below if y'all have any requests or questions for me. FYI I am aware of the age-gaps but I went ahead and made things a little closer in age here, dating back to prior OP which would be Luffy and his gang which is not Ruse since she is older than the main crew, so everything is good for that, along with the fact that our Ruse here is in fact a legal adult being 19. Just wanted to make sure we got that covered before someone asks that again >:)
> 
> One more thing is that for those of you that have read the introduction, Ruse's crew will be showing up at a later date in the story, no need to worry! I made sure I left any potential spoilers that would impact the story out of the intro :)
> 
> Another thing, I'll try and keep updating as regularly as I can, but thanks so much for everyone that does read this! Much appreciation and love!!! Stay safe guys!!!  
> -Jade <3


	38. Chapter 38

Unknown POV

A gathering for the seven warlords, the shibaku, was to be commenced in little less than a month, three and a half weeks? Ah, who cares, you were far too busy to be bothered by something so trivial, so mundane, so boring. Laughter rang out from the room, ah yes, you were the one laughing, you had forgotten for a moment, what were you laughing about? Ah, right, the conjoined meeting for the seven warlords, how fun, how exciting! You couldn’t wait, grinning as you picked up a chess piece from the board that was once resting atop your large mahogany desk. It was in the far right corner, all the way in the back of the board, if you weren’t paying attention you would’ve forgotten about her. The chess piece in your hand was a rather intriguing object, the queen? What a lovely piece. She was cold, white marble with a large ‘x’ across her eyes, the face nondescript, only a red slash marking her any different than the rest of the pawns on your board of puppets, err, pieces? They were the same really, nothing noteworthy, except, this piece in your hand, it seemed a tad different than the rest. Had you mentioned that already? Perhaps, but she was simply so intriguing! You wanted her somewhere, but where? The queen of the board, lonely and forgotten in a corner, not befitting for a queen was that? No, you muse, a cruel grin etching itself across your face.

A queen, a queen without her subjects... how clever.

“Fufufu, how clever indeed. I have to say, you truly are amusing, I have high hopes for you.” 

You laugh again as you twirl the white marble chess piece in your hand, iridescent strings wrapping around it, dangling the queen piece above the rest, eyes narrowing as you study the layout of the board. Keeping the queen in her hidden spot would change the game, leaving both sides to inevitably fall, no winner in this game it would seem. But the queen, removing her from the equation, that was rather amusing. If the board was to fall to ruin, and removing the queen would add an unknown variable...ah this was going to be rather fun. You snicker childishly, twirling the marble piece in your strings before marking the board for its proper adjustments.

Perfect.

“I see...I see...then if you were to damage both sides, we should put this pawn here, this rook there….” You continue on, your grin growing bigger by the minute. 

A few more adjustments, another pawn there, moving the knights over towards this spot...ah, then the king would be placed here to be defeated by the bishop…” 

You pause, eyes narrowing briefly before you step back to your original spot. An overseer of the board, helping the pawns place their lives for something valuable, far greater than themselves. You were superior in this among other things, and yet your kindness was endless, a benevolence, offering lost causes one last ray of hope. You snicker once more, your hands weaving to and fro, pieces being moved around to their rightful spots. Another moment passes, your analyzing gaze darting around, fixing any errors. 

Everything was in place, the map was perfect, all you were missing… The white marble queen still hovered over the board, but there was no place on this board for her. You frown, a bit of your joyful mood dampening slightly, before your easy-going grin slides back on your face. Ah, you knew exactly what to do with her.

Your iridescent strings glimmered, wrapping the piece tightly in your grasp, before you position the white marble a few feet away from the board. 

“A queen without her loyalty is not a queen at all, in fact, she’s no better than a pawn. And if the queen is not useful...then…” You pause for a dramatic effect, teeth gnashing as you smile viciously. “You should... just...disappear.” 

You laugh as you release the strings attached to the queen, watching with rapt interest as the marble shatters to the floor, crumbling on impact, leaving only a red ‘x’ in its wake. The marble had crumbled, leaving behind that one piece of the queen, the crimson was a rather beautiful color, you thought as you bent down to study the remains. You cock your head to the side, before deciding the best course of action. Ah, yes, that would be the most appropriate thing to do you suppose, nodding your head in agreement. After internally musing to yourself, you scoop her up, holding the stained marble in your hands lovingly, you were the only one that had shown her kindness, shown her mercy. You had given her the only proof she needed, that she really ever existed at all...and now, she could be rebuilt into a better queen, one that would fit into a proper place on your board once more. You laugh as you start to plan out how to rebuild such a broken pawn, perhaps, she could benefit from some of your kindness, after all, the best way to raise a loyal subject, was to make them completely dependent on you. 

Humming to yourself you notice that a familiar ringing has started to chime from your desk, a few feet from your now perfect board, oh how boring. You sigh as you click the den-den mushi, answering with a lazy greeting. 

“Fufufu, and how may I be of service to you on this fine day?” You ask the receiver, well aware of the person sitting on the other side of the line. 

A rustling of papers, some grumbling, a clearing of the throat before you hear a reply.   
“Ah, yes. I want to let you know that the meeting has been moved up, it will be happening next week instead of in a month. That is all.” You hear the gruff voice grit out those words as you chuckle.   
Oh how fun, now you could play with real-life pawns for a bit, how fun indeed. You hang up the call, not interested in anything else he had to say to you, gleefully making your way back to the remainders of your queen. Hmm.. you stroke your chin in thoughtfulness, studying the red stained marble.

Now however should you rebuild her?  
\---


	39. Chapter 39

Mihawk’s POV

Damn that vexing woman to hell, she was the bane of your existence, you really couldn't understand why you volunteered your services to someone as...well Ruse-like as her. She was so confusing, so playful and childish, immature, lacking, arrogant, naïve, and yet...you sigh as you bury your face back into your hands.

“Ahhh, what a troublesome student, now I know what Red-Hair meant. Really, how on earth did he deal with her antics?” You question the empty room, a grin on your face as you chuckle softly. Ruse D. Argenti, that woman really knew how to intrigue a person.

With another drawn out sigh you rise from your lounge chair, choosing to not recall what had just happened, if you were to think about her antics you would likely give yourself a headache. Women were simply confusing creatures, no doubt about that. As you shuffle around the books she had left from her reading material your eyes catch a letter with a red wax seal buried in one of the pages. Hmm...that symbol looked familiar. You pause for a moment, golden eyes narrowing in agitation, your somewhat good mood now completely and thoroughly ruined. That was why the symbol looked familiar, it was the shibaku’s symbol. 

A shrill ringing echoes around the main hall, the sound of your den-den mushi. Ah, even better. Now you have to deal with that mess, but you had Ruse with you, how were you to go about that? If you were to recollect the faces and figures of the current warlords you could narrow down the ones that would recognize Ruse as Rayleigh’s child, but maybe if she had an alibi… 

Ring. Ring. Riiiiiing. Riiiiiing. Ri- You snarled as you yanked the responder off the hook answering the caller with a large amount of frustration.

“Yes.” You answer, voice flat, devoid of any emotion, yet our teeth were gnashing, jaw clenched in annoyance. This had better be worth your time. 

“Good evening ‘Hawk-eye’ Mihawk. I apologize for intruding on your night, but I would like to inform you that the shibaku's gathering that had been previously scheduled for a month ahead is moved up to next week.” A brief pause before the voice continued. “That is all.” The voice clips off before you could respond, your golden eyes flaring with anger. 

Of course, that would be an ideal situation for you, how lovely. Sarcasm was not your forte, you exhale loudly, giving yourself a moment of silence to recollect your thoughts and gather your bearings. 

The seven warlords were scheduled to meet in a week’s time, and you had only one person you knew of that would recognize Ruse if she were to be brought with you, which wasn’t a question, you had to keep her close to you especially at a time like this. Meaning you would be giving the troublesome young woman a crash-course of her devil fruit powers, along with Haki knowledge. Ah, she would likely not take that information very well, but you had no other options, sending her back to the Red-Hair and his crew would betray your word, and you were a man of honor. You only hoped that Ruse herself would be able to pull off an alibi. The wild woman she was, she'd likely be able to master the basics of your teachings in a time limit, already proving herself to be a rather advanced learner from her prior actions. The real trouble would be if she had the determination to create a whole new persona for herself, though you weren't too eager about it, you knew that you couldn't let her venture off of her own without at least a proper disguise from prying eyes.

Well, there goes your hope for an enjoyable week, you muse as you look back at the den-den mushi and the red sealed letter. And with that news, you sigh heavily again, deciding it best to get some rest before you were to wake tomorrow. Your new student was in for a rather rude awakening.   
\---


	40. Chapter 40

Ruse’s POV 

Sunlight streamed across your face as you blink lazily, glaring at the offending brightness that intruded on your slumber. Ahh, morning already? You groan, tossing your arms over your head, shuffling the pillow underneath you in front of your face, desperate to return back to your rest. Fate apparently had other ideas, a loud knocking resounding from your door, leaving your fleeting wish for a bit more rest to dissipate. 

“Argenti, you need to get up.” Mihawk’s low and sardonic voice echoes from the other side of the room, and you grimace, knowing that your teacher was likely glaring from his position. Oh well, you yawn widely as you stretch languidly before padding over to the door, swinging it open to reveal the handsome golden eyed swordsman. You were right, that man was definitely glaring as his golden eyes narrow on your half-dressed form, your hair disheveled, a sleepy grin on your face as you greet him. 

“Oi, so early." You sigh dramatically before looking at the man across from you. "But good morning to you too, Shishō.” You reply, canting your head accordingly, grinning a little as you see his pupils darken, dilating momentarily, lingering on the sliver of naked skin peeking through your shirt before darting back up to your own golden gaze. You smirk at him knowingly as he frowns, tossing you a bundle of clothing before he avert his eyes to the side, furrowing his brows in annoyance. 

“Put these on and be downstairs in five minutes or you’ll be training on an empty stomach Argenti.” Mihawk retorts, throwing you a reprimanding look as he turns and strides back towards the dining area. 

Guess that makes two of you that aren’t morning people, huh? You chuckle as you examine the swath of clothing your teacher had thrown at you. A simple thread barren grey tunic, a pair of black socks, and loose fitting pair of pants resembling your own gauchos, though they weren’t the close-cut ones in a women’s fashion, rather these all seemed to be a men’s fit. Must be Mihawk’s older clothes, you muse as you hold them to your chest, deciding to go ahead and change quickly, so as to not miss your chance for breakfast. Hurriedly yanking off your own clothing in favor of the training gear your teacher provide, you pull your long mane of white locks from your face, tying it up in a loose bun, nodding at your appearance, you should ask Mihawk if you could go into civilization again to find some more clothes that were actually wearable, having the only option currently in between your slightly-too-tight gear or Mihawk’s older clothing, One was a tad too tight, the other being a tad too large. Though that would have to wait until you had actually made some solid progress with your new devil fruit powers and the mysterious force of Haki that had just been introduced to you. You were actually pretty excited about it, maybe Mihawk would be able to give you some more pointers on swordplay too, you grin as you visualize last night’s situations unfolding, snickering at the thought. How amusing, the so called greatest swordsman alive-blushing at your antics, was he really alluding to be a prude-you groan, shaking your head. Right now you were ravenous, and dwelling on any distraction would serve a moot point. Food was your top and only priority right now, the rest could wait.

“Well, no time like the present.” You state, grinning as you bound down the stairs to the dining hall.  
\--  
A tantalizing aroma hit your nose as you enter the room, eyes widening as you take in the sight before you. Two plates set on the large table from yesterday, stacked with a mouthwatering meal. Two slices of golden brown toast, a generous handful of bacon atop the wheat, sunny-side up eggs sandwiched in the middle of them, a glass of orange juice to the left, cutlery on the right, you could marry this man. Mihawk was seated in the chair you had been in yesterday, a newspaper folded in front of him, nursing a warm cup of coffee, his posture relaxed as you slid into your own seat. 

“Woah, Shishō you’re really the best! All this for lil 'ol me? So kind, I could marry you.” You tease, earning only a grunt of annoyance in return. You shrug, well even if he wasn’t a morning person, he could make a mean plate of breakfast. You almost moan as you taste the juiciness and crisp texture of the bacon, closing your eyes as you savor the taste. Makino, forgive me, this man’s cooking was just too good. 

Finishing up your breakfast in your usual mannerisms, you look back up to Mihawk, who simply blinks at you before rubbing his fingers across his temple. Bewilderment? Shock? Acceptation? Who knew? You grin as you nudge his arm that had been resting on the tabletop, waggling your brows in a playful manner. 

“Well Argenti, since you’ve finished your meal-somehow in less time than it took me to even take one bite of my own-god forbid there be even one normal part of you…” You pout as he continues on. “Wait for me to finish my meal and then we can discuss things.” His voice sounded a bit tense, strained towards the end as you nod, puzzled by his wording.  
Ten long, painfully long minutes later Mihawk clears away the plates from the table, giving you another disapproving look as he disappears into the kitchen before returning once more. 

“Argenti.” 

“Yes Shishō?” You reply, grinning at him cheekily as he frowns again before continuing on.

“Argenti, we will have less than a week to cover the basics for your education, seeing as a matter of a rather...unforeseen conflict has arisen, so as long as you can pick up your lessons as quickly as you eat, you’ll be fine.” An unforeseen conflict? Less than a week? Huh? What was he talking about all the sudden? You couldn’t possibly learn everything in less than a week! That was crazy talk. You frown, your usual grin gone from your face as you glare at your companion.  
“Mihawk, there’s no way in the seven circles of unholy hell that I could learn everything in less than a week. I may be a ‘well of untapped potential’ but that’s a little too much to ask for someone who didn’t even know what Haki was until yesterday.” You report, Mihawk groaning as he rubs his jaw tiredly. 

“Well if you actually listened to what I was saying you would be able to understand that I was informing you that you needed to learn the basics-as in the first beginning forms of your skill sets, in the timespan. I would never ask something as outrageous as having you master these things, in that time, not that you could, but honestly Argenti, pay attention to what I’m telling you.” He replies, smirking at you as you fume silently. Okay, fair. But did he have to be such an ass about it? Rude. 

You let out a dramatic sigh of relief, though if you were honest, it wasn’t all that dramatized. Hearing Mihawk drop that bombshell on you was a little nerve racking, your heart having almost stopped from his words. 

“Alright then Shishō, let’s sketch out a plan then. A little less than a week’s worth of a crash-course training for Haki and the Okami Okami no Mi, couldn’t be that hard right?” You toss him a grin of your own. 

Mihawk simply nods, agreeing with your thinking. 

“Yes, we’ll see how well that goes, but more importantly we’ll need to figure out an alibi for you since you’ll be coming with me.” 

You raise a brow in confusion. Why would you need a fake name, an alibi for covering your identity? And what the hell did he just say? 

You stare at your teacher as you connect the dots, not liking where this was going. Your voice comes out a little weaker than intended as you voice your thoughts, hoping that he wasn’t suggesting what you were thinking. 

“Coming with you...where exactly? The great Mihawk Dracule wouldn't normally be bothered to go along with the whims of others, much less for a...unforeseen circumstance, that would most definitely be better to avoid, right?” You chuckle nervously as you look at the man in question who simply grins at you.

“Where? To our monthly scheduled shibaku meeting of course. And yes Argenti, I am a man of free will, of course I wouldn’t go along with someone’s whims as you so delicately put. But these people tend to be...rather...demanding.” He tapped the table with his fingers rhythmically, mockingly almost. “But you’re the great Ruse D. Argenti, I’m sure you’ll be just fine.” He smirks at you, casually throwing in a backhanded compliment to his reply. You groan, of course life couldn’t be easy. 

"Well, guess we better get out stories aligned then. And after that, let’s hope that huge sword on your back isn’t just for show, wouldn’t want to be compensating for anything, would we now...Shishō?” You smirk at him, golden eyes twinkling in mirth as you snicker at his expression. He doesn’t look all that happy that you kept alluding to sword innuendoes with him, but hey, he was the one that offered to teach you, he knew what he was getting. 

And with your bantering in full swing, a satisfied now appeased hunger, and a stack of papers now in front of the two of you, you and Mihawk begin to strategize.  
\--


	41. Chapter 41

Ruse’s POV

After conversing with Mihawk about your fabricated alias you had both come to the tentative conclusion that you had two choices. Choice A: You were a distant relative of Mihawk’s that had been living with him due to family circumstances. Choice B: You were his lover, having been newly engaged, unable to live alone due to the danger on the seas, firmly attached to his side until otherwise. Both options were equally terrible. You had stared at your teacher intently, golden eyes meeting amber ombre ones in a disapproving gaze.

“Honestly Shishō, those were the only two options you could muster? Unholy hell, you’re hopeless.” You sigh tiredly, rubbing your hands against your face in agitation. Mihawk groans, doing the same as you, looking just as exasperated.

“Well I don’t hear you pitching in any ideas Argenti, are you telling me you have something else in mind already? By all means, if so then I’m listening.” His low timbre rumbles from his chest, hands resting under his chin in a mocking manner.

You glare but he was right, as much as you hate to admit it. There really wasn’t any other liable excuse you could come up with, leaving you to either be his cousin or his lover, neither sitting well with you. You weren't particularly thrown off by either option, just more or less agitated that you were forced to actually only have these options. It's a rather vexing deal. You weren't a warlord, yet here you were, already being wrapped up in governmental conflicts. You’d normally have no qualms about such an ordeal if it was anyone but the government dogs, this was one way to live to your namesake, having to change your whole persona in a logical and dangerous ruse- ha, a ruse- you chuckle at your pun before shaking your head. No, now was not the time for your clever humor, you had to settle the matter at hand first before you could even dream of adding to your long list of cynical jokes.

“Fine then, we’ll have to go with the most believable route." You pause, narrowing your eyes at Mihawk, before asking him what had briefly crossed your mind. 

"Do you even have any distant family? I thought everyone was informed you were a lone wolf, no emotional ties and all that jazz.” Flickering your gaze back up to golden eyes you sweat drop slightly. Mihawk was frowning, his once languid posture now gone, a concerned look on his handsome face. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, before he nodded, seeming to come to his answer.

“You’re correct Argenti, I have no living blood relatives that I am aware of. I suppose we have our answer then.”

No way, you swallow thickly, a nervous laugh slipping out of your mouth as you realize what he was saying. No way in seven hells, was he serious right now?

Another thoughtful nod, his once frowning lips now curved upward in a smug grin, amber eyes glittering with mischief.

“It’ll be a pleasure to work with you, Miss Dracule.”

You were right, this man was absolutely one hundred percent insane. Full bonkers. 

Your groan follows his statement, slumping against the dining table in defeat. Wonderful, just wonderful. On top of giving you a crash course in Haki and your newfound devil fruit powers, you now had to add ‘fabricated engagement’ to the list the swords-master would be providing you with. How truly delightful, you thought sarcastically. If you were able to make it back in one piece from the upcoming shibaku meeting, you 're going to make it your life’s mission to terrorize this man.  
\--


	42. Chapter 42

Ruse’s POV 

“Again.” Mihawk’s voice calls out as you pant, sweating profusely, straining under the weight of exertion. 

Letting out a frustrated growl, you huff, but follow your teacher’s orders. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. 

Another force of exhaustion hits you, but you grit your teeth and bear it. Training your Haki was far more intense than you thought it would be, but you had to, for your sake and the sake of those you loved. To protect them, to protect yourself, you had to grow stronger. Strong enough that these simple little exercises would come as second nature to you, you had to. 

Tense aura gathered around you, your focus razor sharp as you refuse to wipe away the beads of sweat gathering across your forehead, struggling to maintain your composure. Just a little more, just a little bit more. 

With a loud crack, you finally feel it. Your Haki was surfacing! Hell’s horns that took so much time! A poorly suppressed grin stretches across your face, your scars tingling slightly with exertion of the grin that pulled at your skin. You beam up at your teacher, his golden amber eyes glowing in pride. Ah, that felt good. 

Your own golden gaze narrow as you feel him approach you, his movements swift and graceful, but you already knew exactly what he was going to do. With a small smirk you gracefully avoid his incoming blows, ducking and diving away from your opponent's sword and his flurry of punches and kicks mixed in. Ha, take that Shishō! You think victoriously, before your body tenses once more, muscles screaming in pain. Your joints creak and groan with resistance, tremors shaking throughout your frame as you curse. Briefly pausing, you frown, teeth gnashing as you suddenly lose track of Mihawk, only to catch a glimpse of him reappearing right next to you, his sword already curving downwards in a large arc you knew would hit. You didn't have any time to think, choosing to force your already straining arms in a block position instead of dodging. 

A metallic clang rings out, as you look down where his long metal blade would make contact, but the sight that greets you surprises you. A thinly veiled metal armor coats your arms where you had expected to see only blood. Huh, interesting. You look back at Mihawk, who also looks at your arms in wonder and a tad bit of amusement. 

“Congratulations Ruse, you just used Armament Haki.” He praises you, pulling his weapons away from you, wrapping you in a tight embrace as you blush lightly under his approval. You grin back up at the swordsman, pushing against him lightly, as you chuckle. 

“Well Shishō, looks like I’m a bit better than you thought huh? Now if you don’t mind me, I need to go shower off all this grime and dirt before we continue. Ten minutes for a break?” You reply, golden eyes alight with giddiness and excitement. 

Mihawk nods, letting you go before he looks back at you, a rare smile on his handsome face. “Ruse, take your time, you deserve it.” You beam at him, your hypothetical feathers preening underneath his praise. Mihawk chuckles as his soft smile falls away, leaving his trademark smirk. Oh great, well you enjoyed it while it lasted, you thought sourly. 

“But not too much, I would like some hot water left for myself, hurry along now.”He cants his head, his sardonic voice rumbling at you, in a teasing manner as you growl, tossing him a defiant glare before heading off in the direction of his mansion. 

You grumble the whole way there, throwing a couple more half-hearted glares behind you as you make your way to the mansion, eager for a nice warm and hot shower. “Stupid swordsman, with his stupidly childish behavior, almost worse than Red that man, I swear. No wonder they got along so well, right bunch of bastards those two.” You mumble, your eyes softening a bit at the mention of Red. You wondered how the idiotic captain was doing, likely drowning in booze and flirting with every female in the vicinity, causing trouble wherever he went. Though he better watch his hide after kissing you like that, you would curse him indefinitely if he bedded another woman without telling you, damn arrogant bastard. You frown a a little as you remember his lips against your, his stubble scratching your skin in a heated embrace, his strong and sturdy frame wrapping you in his hold-woah no thanks Ruse, you weren't about to start fantasizing while you had more work to do. Hell, you were gonna surpass Mihawk himself by the time you were done here, see how those smug men like that, huh? Although, you were a bit hesitant to admit it, you did miss your red-haired companion and the crew. With a forlorn smile you shake the thoughts of your red-hair companion and his boisterous crew out of your mind. Right now you are supposed to be focusing on using every lesson Mihawk provided you with to its max, not daydreaming about your redhead companion, get it together Ruse! 

Another sigh followed as you pad up to the bathing chambers, slipping off your sweat-soaked clothing as you step into the warm bubbly water, this time sighing in relief. Ah, it felt so nice on your strained muscles, coaxing a sense of relaxation out of your body. So warm. Bubbles froth around you as you slide deeper into the porcelain tub, wiggling your toes as you fully immerse yourself in the rose scented water. Ah, yes, this was why you loved Mihawk, he was a great cook not to mention he knew how to draw a bath, that man might lack social skills but he had the full requirements met for housewife skills. You chuckle as you start to wash your long mane of white hair, careful to avoid your eyes as you scrub in the soaps.

Humming a sea shanty you continue to enjoy your bath, proud of today’s efforts. Your week had nearly ended and you already had most of the basics down, already exceeding in Observant Haki, and now you had unconsciously used Armament Haki. The other one Mihawk hadn’t versed you with yet, saying it was safer to come back to that one only after the meeting. You had already made pretty decent progress with your devil fruit as well, easily able to change yourself to and from your canine form, though each time you did a bit of exhaustion hit you like a sack of bricks, you supposed that with such intense training your body was probably confused on what the unholy hell was happening to it. Strangely enough though, your joints and bones though they creaked with exertion, they all healed themselves back up to pristine condition the following day. You told Mihawk about that, who had informed you that it was likely part of the devil fruit’s power, stamina, speed, regeneration in a sense, along with many other feats and skills. You weren’t gonna lie, you thought that was a pretty sweet deal, but Mihawk's knowing stare had stopped your thinking immediately. He had told you that you would have to be careful, that you had to gauge how much force you put behind your powers, scolding you to not push yourself too hard, for fear you would break your limitations and become stuck in your canine form. Turns out that when you went into your shift, you would slip deeper and deeper into the mindscape of the canine, your human consciousness slowly dimming in favor of the growing instincts of the wolf. Hmm, you hadn’t thought about that before, but if there was a way to remind you that you were both canine and human, you would be able to use your devil fruit to its maximum power. You brainstorm as you wash yourself, thinking on how to better verse yourself with your new abilities, devil fruit and Haki alike. Hmm, if you were able to have some sort of reminder, a grounding technique...your golden eyes widen as you let out a shout of glee. Aha! You had the best idea! With a grin you hurriedly finish your bath, your skin now smelling of rosewater in favor of sweat, as you towel off and hurriedly pad downstairs. 

Mihawk was gonna love this, you smirk as the gears start to turn in your head, a perfect plan formulating for how to best utilize your devil fruit powers. This was going to be so much fun!  
\--


	43. Chapter 43

Mihawk’s POV 

Ruse D. Argenti had already surpassed your expectations from the beginning, and now she had done so as well in her training. Her golden eyes glaring brightly in her unbreakable will and determination as she kept training her body to use both her Haki and her devil fruit. No matter how much it had hurt, no matter how many times she cursed and hissed in pain and tired bouts of exhaustion, she kept striving to better herself.

How peculiar, most people wouldn’t be able to unlock both versions of Haki unless they had trained and versed themselves for the power with long spent grueling years and many years of practice. And even then, many had given up halfway through, the Haki that they had tried to learn, proving too difficult to handle, but not Ruse. The wild young woman had kept at it, continuing to develop more and more, her willpower stronger than her pain. How peculiar indeed. 

As you observed her training, you noticed she had an affinity for observant Haki, her five senses already keen prior to her consuming the devil fruit, now were almost on par with your own when you had first started to train yourself. Ruse D. Argenti was a prodigy, a storm, a whirlwind of power and strength. A maelstrom. Dangerous, powerful, consuming...and beautiful. 

You related to her a bit you supposed. Though you weren’t sure on what aspect, if it was one thing, or if it were several. When you trained with her, you noticed that her demeanor would sometimes take a full 360, though her determination never wavered. Her eyes held a certain tinge of sadness to them at times, her usual teasing and playful demeanor would fall away, leaving a completely different person staring back at you. A person who was clinging on to something, her hands outstretched, trying desperately to grab ahold of something she couldn’t quite reach. She had faced adversity before, you knew that, her eyes darkening in remembrance of traumatic events when you had tried to pry about her scars, about her past. She responded with, “Not today Mihawk, I’ll tell you about it someday I swear, but today is not the day.” You were surprised by her maturity, but you had let the subject drop, trusting her to open up to you on her own time. For now though, studying the young woman, you could say without a moment of hesitation, Ruse D. Argenti was one of the most interesting people you have ever met. And you’d be damned if you let her slip away without satisfying just a bit of your curiosity. 

Ruse had surprised you today, once again, with her unconscious use of armament Haki, switching from observant to armament in an instant, a feat which took many years to accomplish, and yet she had done it in less than a week. How clever she was. You saw her face had brightened, fixing her golden eyes on you with delight and satisfaction. You couldn’t help the soft smile of pride that crept on your face, congratulating your student on her work. She truly had the potential to become a person to be rivaled. Enough potential that perhaps if she continued to train and verse herself, she could actually challenge you one day. 

With your internal musings you allow your student to take her ten minute break, deciding to let her go bathe, giving her some time to herself as she grinned at you in giddiness. Her happiness was infectious, as you struggled to not join her in her laughter, choosing to instead go and seat yourself in your office study. You had to clear things up so the meeting would go well, reprimanding Ruse when she forgot to act out her alibi days prior. She would struggle a bit, but you had the confidence that she would be able to do it. This would prove to be difficult, but if you were able to pull it off, the fruits of the success would be well worth the hardship. 

And with that, you begin to sketch out the remainder of the plan.  
\--


	44. Chapter 44

Ruse’s POV 

Today was the day, you had already spoken with Mihawk, and you were positive that you were ready. You would be acting as a mature, sweet and well-mannered young woman, recently engaged to the love of your life, which you snickered at, but immediately straightened when golden eyes narrowed at you. 

“Understood Shishō! We can do this, believe me, this’ll be easy.” You remark, saluting him with an easy grin as he sighs, running a hand through his already mussed hair.  
“Argenti, I’m trusting in you, do not blow your cover in this.” You nod to his reply, seriousness replacing your mock cheer, as you grab his outstretched hand. Warm and weathered, his palms covered in scars, you hold his hand tiger, as he looks at you in surprise. 

“Argenti?” He questions, but you weren’t listening. You took his hands, the hands that had been guiding you, teaching you, helping you, carrying you. You sigh softly as you look up at amber-golden eyes, your own golden gaze locking with his determination burning brightly as you raise his hands to your lips. Kissing both hands softly, you grin at your teacher, who blushes slightly at the unexpected gesture. 

“Believe me Mihawk, we can do this. I trust you, can you trust in me?” You question your expression soft and unguarded. 

Mihawk pauses, his hands still in your hold as he softens a bit, expression matching your own, unguarded, completely trusting the other. 

“I would trust you with my life, and I know you’d do the same. Let’s do this Argenti.” He finally responded, his golden eyes burning hotly, choosing to mimic your same gesture, his stubble scathing your hands lightly as you smile at him 

You were ready. Today was the day. You already had yourself in your alias's mannerisms, training yourself in the mannerism of 'etiquette of well mannered women' which you were definitely never gonna be using anytime in the future after this ordeal. You would wear a white bodied gown, 'playing up your innocence' as Mihawk had teased you, which you glared at in response, before fixing your hair. You would be wearing a black wig, in favor of hiding your white mane so as to not drawn attention to your strange appearances, traits that were from your father and mother, genetics were awfully strange, but you couldn't complain. You would be dressed as a black haired, golden eyed young woman, kind and sweet, all things you most definitely were not, which made the alias even better. No one would be able to tell who you really were, though you already knew that if anyone did you wouldn't survive walking through the threshold. You really didn't want to be a 'proper lady' but you knew that if you were to act as you are now, you'd probably be killed on sight. You shiver lightly, before bracing yourself, straightening your shoulders, your golden eyes narrowing in determination.

Watch out Shibaku, here we come.  
\--


	45. Chapter 45

Third Person POV 

Five warlords were already gathered at the table, awaiting their sixth since the seventh was still reportedly ‘M.I.A’ though it was a unanimous agreement that Jinbei was likely either locked up somewhere or under the seas with his people, not really caring either way if the ‘Son of The Sea’ would show to their monthly meeting. 

A handsome yet scowling man in a long coat and a rich business suit was sitting at one end of the table, a cigar in his mouth, a glinting hook atop his right hand, throwing glares at the rest of the room. His black hair was styled back, his steely grey eyes narrowed at the man who perched himself next to him.

Another man sat beside him, handsome in a different way, oozing with charisma yet a hint of danger flared, barely suppressed underneath his charming façade. He leant into the hooked man’s personal space, voice jaunty and silky as he began to murmur obscenities and mocking comments, his face twisted in a cruel smirk as he continued his antics, further provoking the other man. He had a huge feathered cloak draped on his back, oddly eccentric clothing with an obnoxious shade of pink covering his tall frame. His eyes were covered by a pair of equally odd pinkish-red shaped sunglasses, blonde hair disheveled, hands weaving through the air in what seemed to be a flurry of movements, similar to one’s movements when they would play with string. 

In another seat, a woman was glaring at all the men in the room, her eyes similar to jewels, cold and beautiful. She had a long mane of black hair, azure blue eyes, long lashes and deep red lips, curved downwards in a sneer. She huffed, crossing her legs through her amazon outfit, her dress hiking upwards slightly as she leant backwards, closing her eyes in boredom and agitation, looking forward to the meeting ending so she could go home as soon as possible. 

Next to the woman was a large man, his bulking frame was huge, bear-like and easily towering over many of the other warlords. He had a book opened, a purple bible of some sort? Who knew really? He seemed relaxed, engaged in his script as he continued to turn the pages. 

Another man was seated next to the two, cackling in an ear-grating pitch, his dressing similar to a vampire lord’s? Or whatever else he enjoyed, really, no one knew why the man wore clothes like that but no one really bothered to care either. He was laughing loudly at something that the other two warlords had said, their glares focusing on him as he paled and immediately quieted. 

The blonde feathered warlord and the hooked warlord both smirk before turning back to one another, the hooked man glaring, the feathered one smirking. And thus leading to the two continuing to try and get a rise out of the other one. 

The doors to the large meeting room opened with a quiet click, and in walked the sixth warlord, Mihawk Dracule. Everyone was here now, the marine higher-ups were nervously trying to quiet down the warlords, still a bit cautious from the overwhelming power that each of these former-pirates held. A loud voice boomed throughout the room, following behind Mihawk as a large man in admiral gear walked into the room. Fleet admiral Sengoku. His cold gaze swept the room as he began to speak.

“Alright you pirate scum, let’s get this meeting started already. All of you-” His voice cut off as he whirled back to the greatest swordsmen, his face darkened in rage. 

“Mihawk Dracule, why the hell is there a civilian behind you? You better have a good explanation for this.” He growls, his enraged hazel eyes darting to the figure standing behind Mihawk, a young woman clutching at the Italian’s back. 

The woman had a mane of long silky black hair, her eyes were an incredulous shade of gold, her lips drawn down in an unimpressed frown. Two scars lined each side of her pink lips, etched into her skin like her grimace had split open her face, her figure clad in a simple white dress, the fabric clinging to her frame in a tantalizing manner. She was a beautiful young woman, but why the hell was she clinging to Mihawk Dracule, almost like...she knew him? The fleet admiral glared at the two, Mihawk had not taken his seat yet, choosing to turn towards the woman, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He leaned into the woman, whispering something to her as she blushed lightly, her face tinged with a shade of red as she nodded.  
Mihawk graced the woman with a warm smile, his golden-amber eyes glittering as he nodded at her, surprising everyone in the room as he had been notorious for keeping a stoic face. He leaned close to the mysterious woman, encircling her waist with his arms, before he began to address the fleet admiral. 

“Good evening Sengoku, as you so kindly asked, this woman here is my fiancée, Rose Aurum. I couldn’t very well leave her alone, as seeing no one would be able to protect her better than I, does that satisfy your curiosity?” He mocked Sengoku in a graceful manner, his arms still encircling the woman in question as she darted her eyes around the room. The remaining warlords that were still seated were all staring at the woman, their eyes all focusing on her in confusion, amazement, curiosity and many other emotions. 

“Fufufu, well that is quite interesting Hawk-eyes, she does look like a rather...tasty meal.” The feathered warlord chimes in, his tongue swiping over his lips as the woman glared at him, her golden eyes burning in anger and disgust, clenching her fists as she scoffs. 

“Well, it’s not my choice to be here, I would rather cut off my own foot before going here willingly, stupid flamingo shit.” She murmurs inaudibly to many, but not everyone, under her breath. Several sets of eyes fix intensely on the woman at her daunting remark that some had managed to pick up, but she brushes them off, choosing not to engage, instead fixing her gaze to the fleet admiral, ‘Sengoku’ as Mihawk called him. The woman gently pushed away her fiancées hands from her waist as she dipped gracefully out of his hold, her golden eyes twinkling mischievously. 

“Pardon me Sir Sengoku, I requested to my...beloved...that I should await him in another area of this building, but he was very persistent. My sincerest apologies once more Sir, if you would allow me, may I request a room to wait in? If it’s not too much trouble, I feel terrible about my unwanted presence here, intruding in a place where I should not be.” She hung her head as she bowed gracefully towards the marine, her golden eyes beginning to mist with unshed tears as she stayed in the same position, awaiting his reply. Some of the warlords chuckle at her superb acting skills, having heard her prior remark, knowing exactly what she was doing. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately for the woman, not much so for the fleet admiral, he didn’t even bat an eyelash in suspicion. The fleet admiral was shocked, not sure how to respond, his cheeks flaring bright red in embarrassment, how could he speak in such a way in front of a lady? A lady that was Mihawk’s newly engaged fiancée, but a lady nonetheless. Dressed in an elegantly simple white dress, tight bodice leaving little to imagination, her curves and ample cleavage flashing as she bowed, he averted his eyes in embarrassment. Just from her mannerism he could tell this woman was a gem, not to mention her oddly entrancing beauty, silky black locks, golden encaptivating eyes, pink plush lips...he almost felt envious of the Italian swordsman, managing to snatch up such a pretty and well mannered wife. Sengoku hurriedly cleared his throat, trying to reign in the prior callous mannerisms and anger towards the scummy pirate bastards, as he did not want to scare such a delicate young woman. 

“Ah, I apologize young miss. Of course that’s not trouble at all, you’ll have to forgive me for my impudence, I shall show you to a room immediately. Raise your head young miss, you should not disgrace yourself in such a way, it is unbefitting towards you.” He replied, reaching out a hand to the beautiful golden eyed woman, her face still tinged a slight shade of red, as she smiled softly at him, taking his hand in her own. Her skin was smooth and cold, how peculiar, perhaps she was a bit faint from being in the audience of the warlords, he mused quietly, fully intending on chastising them for their unabashed stares and snickers.

“Ah, thank you kindly Sir. I greatly appreciate your kindness.” She replies, her head now raised, golden eyes glistening in unshed tears. She slipped her hand from his grasp, giving him another bow before she turned to her fiancée, who gave her a reassuring nod as she smiled at him, before bowing towards the rest of the men and women in the room. 

“Forgive me for imposing, I sincerely hope you enjoy the rest of your day.” She bowed once more, apologizing to the warlords as Sengoku ushered forwards eager to open the door for her, missing the assessing, cold and calculating gaze she was giving to the warlords. Before she followed the fleet admiral whose back was turned to her, she winked at Mihawk, who simply chuckled before she threw the remaining ex-pirates in the room a smirk, feigning a gesture of brushing her hair aside in favor of throwing an offending finger towards the two men seated in the back. They had been making smug comments and offending gestures towards her as soon as she had entered the room, and she wasn’t going to let that slide. Her offending gesture thrown to the two was followed by a sickly sweet smile as her golden eyes flared darkly. The cigar dropped from the hooked man’s mouth, the smirk that had been permanently etched on the blonde's face had dropped into a surprised slack-jaw expression at the parting gift from the golden eyed woman.

As she ‘brushed aside her hair’ and gave a curtsey to the warlords, she snickered lightly as she blew a kiss towards the pirate empress, who blushed lightly in response, throwing one more as a parting gift at Mihawk before she turned around, grabbing Sengoku’s awaiting hand, picture perfect façade back in place. And with that, the mysterious golden eyed woman left the shibaku’s meeting room, leaving the warlords in confusion, pride, amazement, shock, anger and curiosity.

That woman was certainly something else, that was for sure.  
\--


	46. Chapter 46

Ruse’s POV 

Following Sengoku you had struggled to maintain your ‘well mannered’ proper young lady’s appearance, the idiots in the other room having caused your blood to boil. How could they be called the seven warlords of the sea? They all looked like a bunch of ruffians, though you weren’t much better, but how the hell had they managed to rise in their ranking to become shibaku? Especially the two in the back of the room, the hooked man and the feathered bird-looking fellow, they irked you immensely. You growl lowly, before slapping on a sweet smile as Sengoku turns towards you, hurriedly hiding your frustration behind a mask of innocent charm. 

“I apologize for those damn pirate scum, that was something a lady should never have to witness. The lot of ‘em, bunch of no good-” He pauses as he realizes that he had been speaking ill in front of one of the said ‘pirate scum’s fiancée. If only he knew, you snicker internally amused by his expressions. His face burns in embarrassment once more as he coughs, trying to hide his discomfort as you smile placidly at him. 

“No need to worry for informalities Sir Sengoku, I am quite accustomed to this sort of talk.” you respond, your lips curved upwards in an amused smirk. The fleet admiral averts his gaze, nodding silently as he continues to guide you down the marine headquarter hallways, your analyzing golden eyes taking in each and every detail as you scope out your surroundings. 

“Ah, no need to call me sir, you can simply address me as Sengoku if you would like, young miss.” He replies finally, leading you further into the maze of hallways, stopping at a large room, the door already open as he allows you to step forward, grasping your hand once more in a gentlemanly manner. 

“Of course Si-” You pause, blushing lightly as you almost referred to him formerly again before continuing. 

“Of course, Sengoku. And you may do likewise, Rose Aurum, pleased to meet your acquaintance.” You curtsey in a playful manner as the fleet admiral smiles at you warmly. 

“Rose then. The pleasure is all mine. Now please do enjoy the room, the meeting shall be over soon, perhaps we can chat afterwards, it is difficult to imagine that a beautiful lady like yourself would be engaged to a warlord, much less Mihawk Dracule, I hope I am not offending you. I am simply curious.” He replies, his hazel eyes flickering across you, as he gives you another warm smile. 

Hmm, this could prove to be interesting. If you played your cards right, you may be able to even gain some more information on your devil fruit, or even on the marines and use that information for some...rather...unorthodox personal gains. You beam at the fleet admiral, nodding at him in response, as he nods once more and begins to leave the room. Your eyes narrow as you watch as his form grows smaller and smaller, striding down the halls towards the shibaku meeting room. Yes, this could prove to be very useful for you.  
\--


	47. Chapter 47

Mihawk’s POV 

Dio e lassu, Argenti, you really were an intolerable woman. You curse lowly as you make your way over to an empty seat, ignoring the knowing stares that were focused on you. 

She just had to throw in her trademark sass didn’t she? You groan as you fold your hands, sinking into your chair as you rest your head atop them. The same hands that Ruse had kissed, had held so tenderly before the two of you had set off to the shibaku meeting. The same hands you were going to throttle the damn woman with, your teeth gnashing as you focus on evening out your breathing, determined to sweep this incident under the rug, fate however had other plans.

“Fufufu who knew that the ever-stoic Mihawk Dracule would settle down, with such an adorable young wife as well, how interesting.” Doflamingo’s voice echoed from beside you, his long limbs already folding into a comfortable position as he invaded your personal space. Fantastico, now you had to deal with the eccentric rather crazed warlord, much to your displeasure. You sighed as you peered up at him, glaring at his smug expression. 

“Donquixote, I’d suggest you keep to yourself, she is my concern, it would be best to not pry.” You reply, voice flat and cold as you fix him with an even glare. If Doflamingo had his interest piqued by Ruse, or rather Rose as she had been called by her alias, you weren’t sure you were going to like the results. He was a dangerous man, a crazed one, you knew that he had his own plans that largely differentiate from the warlord system, and a man like him taking interest in Ruse wasn't a good sign.

“Oh, how scary. Perhaps I should investigate this matter more. After all, you don’t seem the type to simply settle down, wouldn’t you agree...gator guy?” He chuckles as he shoots a grin to Crocodile, the hooked warlord, who scowls as he begins to stride towards you. Even better, you sigh, not looking forward to this ordeal. 

The cigar that had once dropped from his mouth was replaced by another one, the rich tobacco scent wafting through the room as he crept closer to you and Doflamingo. Crocodile had a scowl on his face, his steely grey eyes narrowed at you in contemplation, a smirk forming across his lips as he took a seat on the opposite side of you, leaving you in between two of the worst warlords in your opinion, as you grimaced. 

“Ahaha, that is true ‘Hawk-Eye’ you're not a man that would settle down so quickly. Tell me, who is that woman that you’re so keen on protecting, Hawk-Eye?” He questions as he props his feet on the table next to you, eyes still narrowed in suspicion. 

Dio e lassu Argenti, look at what you’ve done now. Both men are looking at you inquisitively, as you clench your jaw, choosing to not reply. Whatever you were to say in response would be tossed and turned in between the scheming warlords, and you weren’t about to offer your reputation to be stained like that. 

“Well, if you won’t give us our answers, I can always ask the cute little wife myself.” Doflamingo chimes in, breaking the tense silence as Crocodile grins at you darkly. 

“You know, for once I agree with you flamingo shit. That sounds like an excellent idea.” He retorts, nodding in agreement as the two men observe your reaction. 

Your heart almost falters, but you had to trust in Ruse to be able to stick to the plan, she had made a few quips here and there, but otherwise she had done perfectly well. And with those kinds of comments coming from the two warlords next to you, you were actually impressed she had silenced them with such a simple gesture. You honestly weren’t that disappointed in Ruse, more in yourself, you should have gone about this ordeal a little more wisely, but now was not the time for admitting to mistakes. You still had to finish the meeting, and with Ruse, or rather ‘Rose’ being able to fool Sengoku, you were confident in her abilities. 

You breath deeply, calming your frantic pulse as you school your expression into your normal stoic-façade. 

“Then ask her yourself, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to oblige the two of you.” You finally reply, the two raising their brows in surprise at your reaction. They had expected to get a rise from you, but you were experienced in their behavior, choosing to leave the rest up to Ruse. 

You just had to believe in her. She had already proven her worth on several occasions, you noted as you think back to your training with the young woman. 

The two warlords look at each other, both sharing the same sinister smirk as they nod in agreement. 

“Then that we shall Hawk-eye." He chuckles as he continues, his smile wide as it spreads across his face, teeth barred in a wide grin. "That we shall.” Doflamingo answers, patting your shoulder affectionately as he gathered himself up, moving back to his original spot. 

Crocodile fixes a level-stare at you, your golden-amber eyes unflinching as he glimpses at your body language. You’ve forced yourself into a relaxed posture, your shoulders no longer raised, your fists unclenched, you’re the picturesque form of unguarded relaxation. You were placing your trust in Ruse. 

He smirks at you, his cold dark eyes glittering in calculation as he rises from his seat, choosing to not respond to you verbally, instead, dipping his head in a mock bow. 

Ruse could do it, you were positive. 

Just so long as she kept that smart mouth in check, as long as she didn’t do anything to pique their interest more, Ruse would be fine. 

She would have to be, otherwise you weren’t sure what you were going to do. 

Hang in there Ruse, just a little longer. Just hang in there.  
\--


	48. Chapter 48

Crocodile’s POV 

The shibaku meeting was about to start, the flamingo shit kept hanging on to you like a parasite, you were still scheming how best to continue your underground businesses, nothing had changed. The usual borderline crazed banter with the blonde devil, Kuma Bartholomew reading his scripture, Pirate Empress Boa Hancock was still looking down on everyone. Moria, how the hell he got a warlord status still amazed you, was being the same pathetic worm he’s always been, quickly ceasing his annoying cackling after you glared at him. Jinbei is still reportedly ‘M.I.A.’ Although you knew he had either resigned or was being dealt with for his idealistic naïve pacifistic ways, serving him right, only the strong would reign at the top. And you were positive that you’d be one of the contenders once you had finally set your plan in motion for Alabasta, the desert kingdom under your ruling, rumors of a weapon being held there in the poneglyphs that the current monarch held. You already had everything ready to be set in motion, you were simply biding your time, knowing better than to strike too early. A cruel grin on your face as you ignore the flamingo shit and begin to map out the possibilities for the desert kingdom residing under your thumb. The people truly thought you were a hero, a valiant warlord that would save them from the evil of the world...when really you were just the opposite. 

The door to the meeting room slowly creaked open, hinting at the arrival of the last shibaku, Mihawk “Hawk-eyes’ Dracule. His walk was slow and confident, golden observant eyes flickering across the room in a matter of seconds as he continued forwards. Some things never change, you snicker as you internally monologue. 

And yet, the swordsmen doesn’t make his way to his usual chair, seated furthest away from the rest of the shibaku, choosing to reside in a place where he can observe in favor of converse. Instead, Hawk-eyes simply turns round, holding out a hand in a gesture of gentlemanly offering to something behind him. Or rather...someone. 

And then you see her. 

A woman behind the Swordmaster, her frame covered in a simple white gown, the bodice emphasizing her womanly figure, curves and dips outlined by the soft white fabric, leaving little to imagination. 

White gown, long black trusses, silky and smooth, but what really got your attention was her face. Her scarred lips, pink and full, two scars outlining her jaw, as if her smile had once split open her skin, the corners of it were smoothly cut and etched into her pale skin with an accuracy you knew was from something other than a blunder or accident. Someone had carved into her skin, the scars deep and prominent, curving in whichever way her lips turned. Golden eyes flicker throughout the room, a shade much richer than even the infamous ‘Hawk-eyes’ Mihawk, hers shone like gold, like a bounty of belli and coin, enchantingly beautiful, and very rare. Such golden orbs were interesting, never seen before, exotic.

Golden eyes continued their path, locking with your own steely grey ones for nary a second, but it felt like ages. She seemed disinterested, choosing to move her gaze to the man next to you as you scowl, murmuring a low and barely audible obscenity. Honestly you had doubts that the strange woman would hear your insults, but you were pleasantly surprised, seeing her jaw had clenched tightly, golden gaze burning hotly, as she focused her attention back on you, narrowing her exotic eyes, glaring at you fiercely. Oho? That was interesting, this little pet thought she could look down on you of all people? It was quite intriguing that she had managed to hear you, as you had barely raised your voice above a low murmur, and the strange young woman was still across the room, perhaps she had a similar skillset to Mihawk? Observant Haki was it? You chuckle lowly, her defiant glare still trained on you. As you meet her gaze, you smirk lazily, sand already gathering in response, before a voice starts to boom out behind the two, shouting something about time and schedules and other uninteresting things. With a long exasperated sigh you dispel your sand, glancing over at the flamingo shit who had seen the whole thing unfold, licking his lips in that disgusting crazed manner of his, his lips curved into a sadistic smile as he snickers. You glare at him, hook glinting dangerously in promise of pain as the man who gathered all of you strides into the room, marine coat trailing behind him as his annoying loud voice booms once more. 

“Alright you pirate scum, let’s get this meeting started already. All of you-” His voice cut off as he whirled back to the greatest swordsmen, his face darkened in rage. 

She was a beautiful young woman, civilian or not, you mused as you studied the exchange of words between Mihawk and Sengoku, how interesting. But you were more concerned about why this golden eyed beauty was clinging onto the swordsman, almost...as if she knew him? The hell? So she can glare at you, but simper to Hawk-eyes like a petulant child? For some reason, this irked you as you sneer at the two, Hawk-eyes turning to the woman, placing a hand on her slender shoulder in...reassurance? His amber-golden eyes were dull in comparison to the real deal, watching as the golden eyed woman nodded to the Italian swordsman, a light blush tinging her face as he murmured something inaudible to her. His gaze to her was soft, warm, almost caring? You were shocked, wasn’t he the one who never graced the world with anything more than a grunt of approval or a nod of agreement? Why the hell was he giving such a loving look to this strange woman? Now you were both irked and intrigued. 

“Good evening Sengoku, as you so kindly asked, this woman here is my fiancée, Rose Aurum. I couldn’t very well leave her alone, as seeing no one would be able to protect her better than I, does that satisfy your curiosity?” He mocked Sengoku in a graceful manner, his arms still encircling the woman in question as she darted her eyes around the room once more, choosing to not glance even slightly in your direction. You were honestly shocked at the words that left Hawk-eyes mouth, was he serious? A fiancée? Him? You stare incredulously at the two, your cigar almost dropping in your surprise. 

“Fufufu, well that is quite interesting Hawk-eyes, she does look like a rather...tasty meal.” The feathered flamingo shit of a warlord chimes in from beside you, his tongue swiping over his lips as the woman glared at him, her golden eyes burning in anger and disgust, clenching her fists as she scoffs. Hm, that was quite interesting indeed, the woman had a fire in her. You grin darkly as you study her reactions, shooting a triumphant glance at the blonde devil who simply waggled his brows in a suggestive manner. 

“Well, it’s not my choice to be here, I would rather cut off my own foot before going here willingly, stupid flamingo shit.” She murmurs inaudibly to many, but not everyone, under her breath. Along with some others in the room, you automatically fix your steely grey eyes on her intensely. She had courage, that was for sure. The woman had quite a fire to her. Her daunting remark that you and some others had managed to pick up piqued your interest, as you flick your gaze down her form once more, analyzing her. She breathes deeply, to collect her bearing you would guess, before she fixes her golden gaze to the fleet admiral, squaring her shoulders briefly. The woman gently pushed away her fiancées hands from her waist as she dipped gracefully out of his hold, her golden eyes twinkling mischievously. 

“Pardon me Sir Sengoku, I requested to my...beloved...that I should await him in another area of this building, but he was very persistent. My sincerest apologies once more Sir, if you would allow me, may I request a room to wait in? If it’s not too much trouble, I feel terrible about my unwanted presence here, intruding in a place where I should not be.” She hung her head as she bowed gracefully towards the marine, her golden eyes beginning to mist with unshed tears as she stayed in the same position, awaiting his reply. You smirk, before chuckling lowly at her superb acting skills, having heard her prior remark, knowing exactly what she was doing. Fortunately for the woman, not much so for the fleet admiral, he didn’t even bat an eyelash in suspicion. Your steely grey orbs train intently on the golden eyed woman, how had she managed to go from a saucy little minx to a cowering simpering fool in less than a moment? You stroke your chin, thoughtful as you continue to observe the situation at hand. 

The fleet admiral was shocked, not sure how to respond, his cheeks flaring bright red in embarrassment, ah you knew he had a soft spot for women, judging from her interactions with him, did the golden eyed woman know as well? Was she a spy? Sent for intel? Or something else...you continue to brood, your answers coming up short as you only glean bits and pieces of the woman’s true nature every so often. 

“Ah, I apologize young miss. Of course that’s not trouble at all, you’ll have to forgive me for my impudence, I shall show you to a room immediately. Raise your head young miss, you should not disgrace yourself in such a way, it is unbefitting towards you.” He replied, reaching out a hand to the beautiful golden eyed woman, her face still tinged a slight shade of red, as she smiled softly at him, taking his hand in her own. Truly, you were pleasantly surprised at her antics, she had pinned the fleet admiral under her thumb in mere minutes, playing coy and blushing with faux remorse and embarrassment. You weren’t sure how she had managed to do so, but you were very much interested in the exotic actress. 

“Ah, thank you kindly Sir. I greatly appreciate your kindness.” She replies, her head now raised, golden eyes glistening in unshed tears. How had she managed to bring tears to her eyes? She must be a very committed actress then, skill sets that could be used for something far greater than whatever Hawk-eyes had for her. With her skills, you could easily curry more favor to your name in Alabasta, among other cities. 

She slipped her hand from the fleet admiral’s grasp, giving him another bow before she turned to her said fiancée, Mihawk Dracule. You narrowed your eyes at the exchange, wondering why he was engaging such behavior with this peculiar woman. He gave her a reassuring nod as she smiled at him, before bowing towards the rest of the men and women in the room. 

“Forgive me for imposing, I sincerely hope you enjoy the rest of your day.” She bowed once more, apologizing it seemed to you, her silky black locks falling around her face as she apologizes for intruding to you and the other warlords. Hmm, how very interesting, you muse as you smirk back at her, her golden eyes sparking with determination as she stayed in that posture for a minute or two longer. 

Sengoku ushered forwards eager to open the door for her, and yet she stayed in that position, briefly raised her head and what you saw made you furrow your brow in surprise. 

Her golden eyes were narrowed, cold, calculating, frigid as if they were the eyes of a killer. You had never felt such an intense wave of unease, her eyes were dark and cutting, looking at you and the rest of the shibaku with what a callous disinterest. Analyzing each and every single one of you in the room, briefly pausing her glaring to rest on Mihawk, who simply gave her a nod, and in return she threw him a coy wink, blowing Boa Hancock of all people a kiss in a teasing manner, cold analytic hateful gaze gone in a matter of seconds. The hell was that? You shiver involuntarily, how could that woman look at you, you of all people with such baleful eyes? You had thought she was a tad smarter than that, instead glaring at you and the rest of the shibaku save for a handful, was she really that dense? Did she know what that meant? That was practically a challenge, throwing down the metaphorical gauntlet. You growl lowly, not sure if you were impressed with her bold nature or pitying the woman with her daftness. Maybe a bit of both, as you watch her follow behind Sengoku, pausing once more as she drops into another low, mocking curtsey, the fleet admiral too preoccupied with getting the door for her, doesn’t see her gesture. 

She curls one hand to her long black locks, giving a sugary sweet smile as you notice that she was staring directly at you and the flamingo shit, all smiles and pretty eyes. That was much better-your eyes widen as you see her slender fingers weave into an offending gesture, one slender finger sticking out from the rest as she beams at the two of you, canting her head in a coy manner, grin all teeth and malice before she turns and whirls back to Sengoku, a proud bounce in her step. 

Your cigar fell to the floor, jaw slack with shock.

Did that woman just flip you, Crocodile The Warlord, The Hero of Alabasta, off? She had mocked you that boldly, to your face? Truly? 

Rose Aurum, if that was even her name, she had done what many had strived to do and failed. She had piqued your interest.

And you’d be damned if you let her slip away.  
\--


	49. Chapter 49

Ruse’s POV 

The room you were residing in wasn’t all that interesting, a large coffee table in front of you, you were seated on a somewhat comfortable leather couch, the white walls barren except for a couple of posters. With a sigh you rise, folding your legs out from under you as you walk over to the wall with the posters, somewhat intrigued by what was written on it. 

‘Justice! True freedom for all!’ Was written on a large poster, the background of a group of smiling marines, their faces alight with joy and cheer, eyes glimmering with hope and happiness. You snarl as you glare at the hypocrisy. How dare they speak of justice in such a rigged system? You turn away from the picture, not trusting yourself to not rip the offending scripture from the wall, choosing to pad over to the other one. 

"Hypocritical scum-bag bastards, I hope you all burn in the seven circles of Hell." You glare as you struggle to not rip the offending picture to shreds, your jaw clenched tightly in barely concealed rage.

A large scripted poster hangs in front of you as you reach your hand out to trace the words written there, barely touching the wall when something cold suddenly tingles down your spine, a shiver racing up your spine as you freeze. Looking down to your outstretched fingers you swallow thickly, another hand, bedazzled in several sets of rings, covers yours as you almost let out a scream of surprise. You jerk back involuntarily as you swallow down your scream of surprise, your back stiffening when you see who the hand is attached to. 

A tall blonde man is standing next to you, too close for your liking as he towers over your frame. A grin on his face, sunglasses gleaming as he creeps closer to you. His breath tickles your ear, a rumbling sound coming from his chest as you realize he’s laughing at you. Your golden eyes meet his covered ones as you try to take a step back, unsure why one of the seven shibaku is in here with you, and not in the meeting. 

Doflamingo Donquixote, the feathered pink warlord that you had unwisely flipped off along with the cloaked hooked man, sending him a scathingly sweet smile afterwards. You sweat drop nervously, not feeling quite as confident as you had prior, being in a room alone with the warlord. Thankfully at least it was only the one, you’d likely have fled in terror if that hook came anywhere near your person. You cursed your stubbornness, knowing you should have kept your head down, but you were Ruse D. Argenti, you weren’t about to be talked down by anyone, even if they were as infamous as the seven warlords. Dammit Argenti, you really goofed this one didn’t ya? You and your stubborn sense of pride, unholy hell, now you were going to die for that pride, how ironic. You monologue internally, keeping your gaze on the feathered blonde man, not trusting him for even a second. If he killed you here and now, you were sure he would get his title revoked. You would have to pray that the blonde cared more about his title than killing you, as you swallow thickly again, straightening your shoulders as you finally build up the courage to speak. 

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company Sir…?” You purposefully let the sentence trail off, not wanting the blonde devil to know you had intel on him. He smiled at you in return, teeth still gleaming in a dangerous taunting fashion. He laughed, loud and boisterous as he let you take a couple steps back, silently thanking him for allowing you the brief moment to catch your breath. 

“Fufufu, you are simply a delight aren’t you Miss Rose Aurum, was it? Though between you and me, I think we both know that is not your true name isn’t that right?” He questions, his brows arching as he leaned against the wall you had previously been studying. Hell’s horns, you didn’t think you’d be caught onto this fast! Dammit, what were you supposed to do? You curse lowly, before smiling up at the man placidly, blinking your golden eyes in innocence. 

“Oh? I do believe I would know my own name, good sir, Rose may sound a bit old and worn, but I wear it with pride I can assure you that.” You reply, your smile still as sweet as ever, determined to not betray your emotions. 

Did he know? Would he tell anyone? What was he going to do? How had he figured it out? Did he know about you from your father? Who exactly was this man? 

The thoughts race through your head as you continue to smile, sweat beading at your brow in concentration to keep your façade. 

The feathered man stops laughing, his brows drawn tightly as he studies you. Blonde hair, charming smile, charismatic mannerism, egotistical as all hell, the feathered man was Doflamingo Donquixote, and yet now that he was right in front of you, all the information you had of the warlord prior had been erased. Just who was this man? 

“Ah, well then forgive my suspicions Miss Rose, or should I say Ms. Dracule? I simply had to meet you after that introduction. Not many have the audacity to show me such a gesture, glaring at me with those pretty gold eyes of yours, it makes me wonder.” He replies to you, seeming to play along with you as he grins. 

Your eyes dart around the room, eager to find an exit, hoping you would be able to escape from him without a fuss. No such luck it seemed, the only exit being the door in which both you and he had come in from. Hell’s horns, you really screwed this one up.

You turn your attention back to the warlord, deciding to say fuck it all, allowing yourself a moments reprieve before you proceed to make one of the biggest mistakes in your life. 

“Ah, well forgive my insolence Doflamingo Donquixote, I would like to apologize for my behavior but I’m afraid I cannot in good will be genuine about it.” Your golden eyes narrow at the man before you continue. “You see, I really could care less about what you think of me or my namesake or really anything about me. In fact I’d appreciate it if you stay far, far, far away from me. You may put on a charming face to everyone else, fooling people into believing you’re a decent man, but I can see you for who you really are.” Your words nearly stumble, heart racing as you realize you can’t stop the words falling from your mouth with a distant sense of horror that you’re not halting the verbal lashing. Oh no. Your gaze flickers for a moment before replacing your frightened expression into a steady glare as you continue, golden eyes burning brightly with frustration and you can feel the air around you beginning to grow colder. 

“You’re not a charming man at all, in fact I think you’re one of the few men in my life that I have ever wanted, so vehemently wanted, to actively avoid. So if it will please you Donquixote, I would greatly appreciate you to leave, and never contact me again.” A brief pause. “You disgust me.” You spit out, hands clenched tightly against your sides as you can feel your blood boil.  
The feathered warlord simply stares at you, his smile completely gone from his face, cheerful demeanor replaced with a blank expression, his eyes covered by a pair of dark red sunglasses, but you knew instinctively that they were narrowed in anger at you.

You swallow thickly, shivers racking through your body as you realize what you just did. You just told Doflamingo Donquixote to go fuck himself, in a more polite manner, but that was beside the point. You had just lashed out at one of the shibaku, and now you were going to die. Likely painfully, probably slowly, most definitely agonizingly.

Unholy hell, why did you let your anger win over your rationalism? Dammit Argenti, look at what you’ve done now. You continue to berate yourself mentally as you quickly turn away, leaving your back unguarded. Cursing, you immediately turn to fix your mistake, trying to turn back around, only to fight back a scream. Your body couldn’t-no it wouldn’t-move. Sweat dripped down your neck, trailing down your skin, collecting at the V-neck opening in your white gown as you feel your blood run cold. Doflamingo Donquixote had a devil fruit didn’t he? You struggle to remember the folders you and Mihawk had gone over prior to the shibaku meeting, but in your nervousness you couldn’t visualize anything about the warlord behind you, his tall frame dwarfing you, shadowing looming closer as you felt a breath tickle the back of your ear. Gritting your teeth, you try once more to force your body to move, your instinct screaming at you that you needed to move. Right now. Move dammit! 

“Fufufu, you certainly are an interesting young woman Miss Rose. With such a heart wrenching confession, I think I will keep a very, very close eye on you.” His voice is jaunty and cheerful, but you can hear the underlying threat behind it. You had pissed him off, and you were likely now going to be stalked and cornered into a slow and painful death in the very possibly near future.

Fantastic. 

Your limbs were still frozen, heart beating frantically, the only sound now was the faint uneven breaths coming from you and the low rumbling chuckle from behind you. Without looking back you knew that Doflamingo was smirking at you, likely observing your smaller frame whilst you couldn’t move out of his searching stare, the pinpricks of awareness gave it away. You stiffen, or at least, tried to as you still couldn't move, a snarl building up as you try to wiggle out of the hold you somehow knew that the warlord had trapped you in. That man screamed danger, and yet you were stupid enough to fall into his trap. Hell’s horns, you were pissed. 

“Oi, stop checking me out and let me go you damn birdbrain!” You shout, polite mannerisms for you alias forgotten as you felt anger and frustration building up. 

“And if I don’t?” Comes the reply, his voice suddenly much closer than it was prior, you can feel the soft feathers from his cloak caress your skin, a sneeze building up as you feel a stray one tickle your nose. 

“...” You struggle to come up with a reply, knowing that you really couldn’t do anything to make him let you go. 

“Then I’ll bite my fucking tongue off and spit it in your smug bastard face, see how you like that Mingo!” You taunt, hoping you would stir up enough irritation in him to momentarily let you go, giving you the chance to escape. 

Instead of irritation or an indignant shout of anger though, you were met with another low chuckle. Did this man ever think anything wasn’t amusing? 

“Fufufu, how fierce. I would love to see that, but….” He pauses for a moment, seeming to contemplate something before he continues. “For now I think I’ve gotten enough amusement for one day.” And with that your body suddenly goes limp, the invisible force that was holding you captive moments ago disappearing as you tumble to the floor, rather ungracefully. You barely manage to catch yourself, whipping around to the feathered blonde, a dark glare on your face, snarling at him angrily. 

“Culus absoulte! How does anyone stand you?!” You shout, your fingers clenched against your palms so tightly you could feel blood begin to well up. Doflamingo simply smirks at you, stepping over you whilst still keeping that damn smug grin on his face as he strides towards the door. 

“Oi!” You call out, rather stupidly if you were to think about it. 

The feathered warlord pauses as he reaches for the handle, his back turned to you as you brush yourself off, standing up once more. Your next words were also rather stupid, but your damn sense of pride was a stubborn thing. 

“Next time I see you Mingo, I’m gonna wipe that smug grin off your stupidly charming face." You grin darkly, already looking forward to his cheerful demeanor being replaced with the rage and anger you knew he held in. That would be a sight, the infamous 'Heavenly Demon' losing his composure. 

You continue on, giving a parting insult. "Don’t let the door kick you in your feathered ass on your way out!” Your voice is low and radiating anger, a faint tingle of familiar aura welling up around you as you glare at him. He snickers at you, opening the door and leaving you with a parting shot, his grin stretching across his face as he replies.

“Fufufu, such fire. You best keep your word then Miss Rose.” And with that, the feathered shibaku leaves, disappearing from your sight as you slump against the wall.

Well, that was certainly something. At least you’re still alive, your alias still intact, no limbs missing. All in all, that went rather well. You sigh as you lean against the wall, your head thumping softly against the cold surface. Doflamingo Donquixote, how the hell did you capture his attention? And more importantly, now that he had his eyes on you, were you going to be safe? How long would you be able to keep your secret? 

These thoughts raced through your head as you closed your eyes, sighing tiredly. No use worrying about it now, the deed was already done. You were more concerned about the pressing matter of your teacher. He hadn’t given you any of his reprimanding glares, nor had he scolded you yet. But after this ordeal...you gulp nervously.

How the hell were you going to explain this to Mihawk?  
\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Culus absoulte!' In Italian Ruse was cursing at a certain someone saying "Absoulte asshole!" (She picked up some terms and words from her teacher)  
> Mihawk would be proud! >:)  
> <3


	50. Chapter 50

Ruse’s POV 

After the less than ideal meeting with the feathered warlord, you sighed, deciding to collapse on the couch in a rather undignified ladylike way, not really caring about the consequences. You were more concerned with your teacher, and the fact that you just signed your own death contract. How were you supposed to tell Mihawk? Shishō was going to be livid, maybe you could try and slip out the headquarters, praying that you'd go unnoticed? No, he was too well versed in observant haki for you to get much further than two steps outside of this room. You were stuck in between a rock and a hard place, death was inevitable. With another sigh you slump further into the couch, hoping it'll just swallow you whole, of course in your musings you had failed to notice footsteps echoing outside the hallway, approaching the room you were in. 

Too caught up in your thoughts, you failed to hear the door click softly, soft footsteps padding through the hallways, now carrying the figure to the entrance of your waiting room. A familiar set of amber-golden eyes are suddenly staring back at you as you whirl around, face paled at the thought of the warlords, all equally as dangerous and likely just as invested in your mental health taking a rapid decline from nerves as they were with being amused by your misery. Hell's horns, it was just Mihawk, your heart that was galloping a mile a minute slowed briefly before your eyes widened. It was fucking Mihawk. The thundering of your heartbeat grew louder as you realized that he was here to collect you, likely already having heard of your incident with the feathered shibaku. Unholy hell, you weren't mentally forfeited enough yet! 

“M-Mihawk?” You stutter, your voice warbling slightly at the unexpectedness of the swordsman appearing right before your very eyes, traitorous thoughts mocking you as you curse softly.

His thoughtful eyes surveyed the room, taking note of your panicked expression, a few stray pink feathers left fluttering on the ground, your fingers clenched tightly around the soft leather of the sofa. He looked thoughtful, his ever observant gaze not failing to pick up every single detail of the state of the room and the occupant, as you sweat nervously, feeling his gaze flicking back to your face once more, expression unchanged. 

“It is time for us to leave Rose, let us depart.” His low timbre held a warning in it, as if he already knew what happened between you and the blonde devil. You could have sworn you saw his jaw clench slightly before he gestured for you to stand, leaving your nerves frayed as you were given no verbal indication of Mihawk's reaction to your earlier situation. He had to have known, and the fact that he was choosing to not say anything was making you even more nervous, not liking that your teacher wasn't giving you anything to work with. Normally he'd at least throw you a bone, giving you a teasing insult or an eyeroll, something. But right now, he had given no indication of a response, as if he was simply ignoring the situation that had unfolded beforehand, as if he could care less about it. 

You shiver slightly, before closing your eyes, trying to regain your usual playful and confident persona. If Mihawk was ignoring the situation then so would you. 

“Ah, let us leave then...Il Mio Amore, Mi Tesoro.” You grin as you regain your confidence, eager to leave the marine headquarters, itching to escape the ever watchful eyes of the government officials, anxious to go home. 

You can feel Mihawk’s inquisitive gaze on you as you bite back a smug smile, you had purposefully been learning tidbits of Italian, knowing it would come in handy. After all, what sold an engagement better than having your own romantic language reserved for your loved one? Chuckling at the thought you hold out your hand, raising a brow when your teacher shakes his head exasperatedly before pulling you up, tugging you to his chest as you catch a whiff of the familiar scent coming from the handsome swordsman. Roses and cinnamon, somehow befitting of the man. As you are pulled forward by your ‘fiancée’ you hear a familiar voice coming from out the hallway. Eyes widening, you let out a shaky breath, gripping onto Mihawk’s arm in a vice grip, your blood running cold. 

“Fufufu, looks like you’re a step behind gator guy, I just spoke with her, and let me tell you...she’s quite...delectable.” A familiar voice sounds out from down the hall as you feel Mihawk halt abruptly, his eyes narrowing at you expectantly. You throw him a sheepish grin, your hands rubbing your face as you can feel humiliation spreading across your reddening cheeks. Well if he hadn't known about the situation prior, he most certainly knew now. You really didn't want to see your teacher's face right now, knowing he was likely giving you a reprimanding glare, or even worse, he wouldn't even be looking at you at all. You peeked over to your 'fiancée' suddenly somewhat curious about his expression. Golden-amber eyes, swirling with a flurry of emotions, were locked on your own golden eyes as you sweat dropped. 

Uh-oh. 

“Rose, we shall talk about this matter when we arrive safely back at home. For now though, it is in best interest to leave quickly.” You can feel the hidden fangs of his grin as he scolds you gently, knowing that behind that soft smile there’s a whirlpool of frustrations building up.

You nod mutely, his grip changing to an iron-clad prison as he guides you through the marine maze, your head hung low in shame. 

Looks like you’d be facing the music a bit faster than you thought you’d be. Oh well, it was a good life while it lasted, you thought grimly. The world's strongest swordsman was now marching you back to his raft, his grip still a tightened hold, ensuring no escape. You were being marched to the familiar raft with a sense of dread, you were most definitely going to die today. Bemusedly you wondered if a burial at sea would give you proper rest, snickering lightly at the thought before you decided that no, you would likely not receive a peaceful rest if Mihawk was the one to kill you. But a girl could dream, and dream you would.  
\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Il Mi Amore- My Love  
> Mi Tesoro- My Treasure  
> \---  
> <3


	51. Chapter 51

Mihawk’s POV 

You weren’t sure what had happened to your golden eyed companion, but you knew instinctively, surveying the room at the marine headquarters that Ruse had been visited by a certain feathered warlord. Pink plumes from his trademark cloak were strewn across the floor, as you enter the room, eyes meeting Ruse’s as she pales. 

Her slender hands are clenching the leather sofa, a sheen of sweat glistening from her skin as she lets out a relieved sigh, her tense posture melting away from seeing you in the doorway.  
Feathers. He had been in the room with her, alone? You grit your teeth, jaw clenching as you run through the possibilities before you hear Ruse’s voice interrupt your thoughts.

“M-Mihawk?” Her voice warbles a bit, her expression guilty and startled as she looks at you. You surveyed the room once more, a quick lookover had told you everything you needed to know. That damn feathered bastard was alone in this very room, in close proximity to Ruse, traces of his presence were easily spotted, the evidence strewed across the floor. You close your eyes, counting numerically to twenty before opening them again, you would ask Ruse about what happened when the two of you were back at home. Away from prying eyes and ears, and in the solace of the safety of your home. 

“It is time for us to leave Rose, let us depart.” You stride towards your companion, her expression still one of guilt and shame as she refuses to meet your eyes, growling lowly as you near her, she had done something hadn’t she? You knew Ruse well enough to know that her glancing away from you repeatedly was a sign of guilt, what on earth did this troublesome woman do this time? Surpassing a groan of frustration you hold out a hand to the golden eyed woman, her gaze finally meeting your own as she grins at you sheepishly, scratching her cheek as another tell-tale sign of a guilty conscious. Dio es lassu Argenti, you’ll be the death of me yet. 

Ruse clears her throat, squeezing her eyes closed tightly as you watch amusedly as she opens them once again, her playful teasing demeanor back in place as quickly as it had disappeared. How saucy she was. Clever little vixen that woman. Rolling your eyes at her antics you gesture for her to stand, eager to leave the marine headquarters before more trouble arrives. 

“Ah, let us leave then...Il Mio Amore, Mi Tesoro.” She grins at you charmingly, her eyes filled with mirth as you shake your head, chuckling at her verbal quips. Had the woman really versed herself with your native tongue? Typical Ruse. She had a knack for straining your nerves, always testing your limits, always seeking to get a rise out of you. You crack a small grin at her as you guide her out of the room, eager to return home. 

“Fufufu, looks like you’re a step behind gator guy, I just spoke with her, and let me tell you...she’s quite...delectable.” A familiar voice sounds out from down the hall as you see Ruse tense, her posture rim rod straight, looking out the hallway in dread. You turn, raising a brow at her expectantly, she had truly never ceased to surprise you that woman. Shaking your head as you stare at her, you grin darkly at the woman you were leading, your grip now iron-clad as you felt her struggle slightly.

“Rose, we shall talk about this matter when we arrive safely back at home. For now though, it is in best interest to leave quickly.” You reply to her, her golden eyes darting around the premise, likely seeking an escape route from your flurry of emotions that are building up rather alarmingly fast. 

Ruse sighs loudly, already knowing you were far superior in observation haki than she was, as she nodded mutely, accepting her fate. 

Of course Ruse would do something like this, you weren’t sure why you were expecting something else, but you had to keep your emotions under control for now, at least, until you and Ruse had made it back to the island. Then you could deal with everything, you knew in the corner of your mind that the whole ordeal, whatever it may have been wasn’t completely Ruse’s fault, but you were still agitated that Donquixote had managed to sneak off and confront your companion, all without you knowing. 

You weren’t exactly sure if your pride had been wounded from failing to see Donquixote leave the shibaku meeting room and confront Ruse or if it was from you not having been in his place instead...but either way you were agitated. Hopefully you could avoid a migraine in the process of sorting out this whole ordeal, though with the way your head was pounding now, you were almost positive that the last request was already denied. 

With a sigh you guided along your companion to your raft, eager to leave. Oh well, not much one can do when they travel with Ruse D. Argenti.

You hauled Ruse aboard, said your pleasantries to the marines and the other folk watching, then turned to Ruse, a knowing look on your face as she opened her mouth to speak and then abruptly closed it. She graced you a sheepish smile, helping you set everything up for the trip home, keeping quiet the whole time, even Ruse knew that you weren’t in the mood for your usual banter. You just wanted to leave this island as soon as possible, the faster the better. Ruse lit the candles on the raft, and then seated herself a few feet away from you as you sighed tiredly.

It was time for the two of you to set sail. 

It was time to go home.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updated again! Sorry for the wait, work's been stressy and depressy and all sorts of messy.  
> But hey...new chapter! More to come soon too!  
> Be sure to drop a kudos or bookmark if ya liking it so far, or feel free to leave a comment on any suggestions or anything similar to that jazz below :)  
> Stay safe <3  
> -Jade


	52. Chapter 52

Ruse’s POV 

After you and Mihawk had hauled ass away from the marine headquarters, you wisely decided to keep your mouth shut, not warning to risk the danger of being thrown overboard by your teacher. He was fickle enough to do something like that, having already experienced similar treatment, you shivered slightly as you stared out at the sea. Quiet, serene, the calm before the storm. 

Mihawk kept quiet as well, though you had guessed he was likely sleeping in favor of conversing with you, you shrug as you settle into a comfortable position, readying yourself for watch as you make your way back to Gloomy Island, praying that the punishment your teacher gave you would be lenient. 

\--

Arriving at Gloomy Island, you quietly step off the raft, demurely making your way up to the mansion as Mihawk follows behind you, silence heavy between the two of you as you continue to walk.   
Finally, Mihawk’s voice breaks the tense atmosphere around the two of you as you strain your ears to hear him mumble something inaudible. 

“What was that Shishō?” You reply, turning around to face the amber-eyed swordsman with a hint of interest in your voice. 

“I said, ‘A shame you didn’t fall overboard on the way back, would’ve saved some trouble.’ Argenti.” He replies to you, his sardonic timbre vibrating with barely concealed frustration.

You gulp nervously as you whip back around, choosing not to comment, not because you were scared of Mihawk, pssh you? Scared? No way. Ha, ha. Totally not. Against your better judgement though, you continue to walk forwards to the gates of Hell. Also known as the mansion where you were going to get your furry ass handed to you. You were tempted very briefly to just book it as soon as your feet touched land, but feeling a sudden cold aura from behind you before you leapt off the raft you had decided against that.

Mihawk was walking behind you, still gurgling and throwing off handed comments that on a normal day you would’ve fought him for. Or at least tried to fight him, you were still a few leagues behind that man with your training level where it was at now. 

Listening to your teacher your internal musings started to get the better of you as you try to bite your tongue. Knowing that the better option was to not reply to your teacher’s less than ideal moodiness, but frustratingly enough your damn pride always got in the way of rational thinking, sometimes you wondered if it was a defect, like there was a chemical imbalance in your brain, but who really knew?

“Someone’s still in a bad mood…” You grumble back, cursing your witty attitude as soon as the words leave your mouth. 

The sounds of footsteps stop, twigs that were originally snapping behind you now eerily quiet. No rustling from the brush, no crunching of leaves, no swearing and grumbling from behind you. Just silence. Your heart falters a beat before you inhale slowly, turning to face your teacher as your golden eyes widen at what you saw. 

Mihawk was stock still, his posture bent over slightly, fists clenched tightly against his sides as you meet glowing amber eyes, the sheer amount of emotions coming from this man were...well...rather frightening. You gulp nervously as you start to feel sweat drip down your neck, your pupils enlarging as you see the swordsman lift one hand towards you, gesturing for you to stop. You already had, frozen from the aura emanating from this man, your legs shaking slightly as you feel a shiver run up your spine. Mihawk looks at you, raising his head slightly, the same hand he had gestured at you to halt was now gesturing something else. A ‘come hither’ motion, as in he wanted you to come closer. Hell’s horns, you were gonna die. He wanted you to willingly walk into the den of a lion, to simply walk up to him as if you hadn’t seen the sheer amount of aura, or maybe it was haki, who knew? That was coming from him, and he wanted you to come closer? Ahahaha, that was comical. So you did what any sane person would do. You took one step forward, as if complying with the Swordmaster, keeping your eyes trained on him as he grins at you. Your heart thunders in your ears as you take another step. There’s still a fair amount of distance between the two of you. One more step, cautious and carefully placed, still not taking your eyes off of the predator in front of you. He resembled a lion baiting his prey forward to his awaiting jaws, though instead of hunger it was a well of frustrations and rage. And instead of jaws, it would be a storm of blades and biting commentary.

One more step.

You inhale a quick breath, preparing your muscles and joints for their strenuous actions they're about to take.

And then you pivot your foot, seeing a look of disbelief flash across Mihawk’s face as you turned so fast you almost got whiplash, and ran for your life.  
\--


	53. Chapter 53

Mihawk’s POV 

What the hell? Did Ruse just run from you? From you? You were her teacher, and sure you were a little...well a bit...maybe quite a large bundle of emotional stress currently, but did that woman really think you would harm her? You were a gentleman, you would never strike a woman, no matter what she had done, it was something similar to an unspoken ruling of your pride, of your honor. Really Argenti, you know how to drive a man crazy. Dio es lassu. That woman was something else. You furrowed your brow in concentration, debating on whether to go after her or not, but deciding that you would allow her a few moments of reprieve, if she thought you were giving chase to her then she might get a crazy idea to run even further. 

Ah, you were too tired for these things right now. With a low groan of frustration you press your hand to your temple, sighing exasperatedly at the situations that have piled up in these past months. 

Dealing with Ruse was one thing, but dealing with Ruse and the rest of the warlords? That was something that would be a problem for tomorrow. For now, you just wanted to rest. So with another heavy sigh, you start your way up to your home. At least you would be able to sleep for a bit while Ruse went off on her own doing god’s knows what. Hopefully the damn troublesome woman would be able to keep herself out of more trouble while on the island, it was away from people so the only thing she would or could potentially run into would be the humandrills. Unfortunately, they knew better than to trifle with the white haired menace, having been bested by the pirate woman in her first couple of days she spent here. That was a rather amusing scene to behold. Ruse would be fine on her own, you on the other hand, you needed rest. 

Desperately. 

Sleep sounded like a fantastic idea, a few hours of rest and then you would deal with the rest of the problems that had arisen since the meeting.

Yes, that was a good idea.

And with that in mind, you continued to your home, eagerly awaiting when you could reach your bedchambers and relax for once.

\--


	54. Chapter 54

Ruse’s POV

Dense forest surrounds you as you struggle to breath, chest heaving with anxiety and heart thumping wildly, straining your ears to hear if Mihawk was pursuing you. You calm your breathing to an even level, no longer feeling quite as winded as you had before, but still feeling nervous and anxious as you try to pick up any noise aside from the fauna of the forest around you. Silence greeting you in return.

Good, looks like he had decided to let you go this time, thank the gods above. With a grin you plop down where you had been observing prior, your body too tired to continue to trek through the wild undergrowth of the dense foliage around you. 

Sleep now, worry later. 

Good idea Ruse, thank you Ruse. You chuckle as you monologue internally, before you shove your arms underneath your head, a makeshift pillow of limbs as you get comfortable on the forest floor, leaves and twigs all around you as you sigh contentedly. It wouldn't be the first time you slept in a forest, nor the last. With a tired chuckle you nestle into a more comfortable position, your golden eyes sliding shut as you smile softly.

Sleep sounded like a great idea.

\---

Harsh streams of sunlight beat down on you as you groan tiredly, curling to your side as you tried to block out the light streaming down on you, unenthused about the reaping's of today you would be sowing. 

A few more minutes passed as you grumble, trying to wriggle your way into a spot of shade, finding no solace. Another groan as you finally give in, laying flat on your back, allowing the sunlight to beat down on you as you begrudgingly accept your fate. 

Today would be the day you would have to face Mihawk, you had escaped unscathed last night, but today was the day you would have to face the music. You were really not excited about that.

“If there’s a god out there, you sure really like to throw me some hard cards don’t ya? Pompous smug bastard.” You growl as you lay in the forest clearing, not caring one way or another if there were a response to your taunting. 

“Alright Ruse, you got this. You’re a strong independent woman who can most definitely talk to Mihawk without fleeing for your life. You got this.” Your voice is scratchy, a painful feeling in the back of your throat as you shout-whispered, dehydration from running through the forest and not taking care of your basic necessities most likely. 

One. Two. Three. 

After a mental countdown and a short-lived pep talk you spring up from your resting spot, stretching out your limbs as you groan. 

“Alright Ruse. Let’s go get ‘em.” And with that, you make your way to the mansion, praying that you would be granted parolee before your companion of dangerous blades decided to cut you down. 

What better way to start the morning?

\---

Walking into the dining hall, your mouth watered as you could smell the familiar scent of bacon and toast, salivating slightly before wiping the drool from your face discreetly. Mihawk had cooked breakfast, meaning there was hope for you! With a grin you bound into the dining hall, your golden eyes glimmering with anticipation of the warm meal being prepared in front of you.

Said swordsman was sitting at the dining table, a newspaper propped up, his usual mug of coffee and a plate of fresh-cooked breakfast in their usual placement. You couldn’t see his face, but you knew Mihawk was likely not even reading the news coo delivery, likely he was observing you as you stood in the dining hall, a few feet from him, waiting to see what you would do. 

Clearing your parched throat you weighed your options. If you seated yourself at the table and pretended nothing had happened, it was likely that Mihawk would throw you back out into the forest, and you were really hungry, so that option was out. Leaving you the option of… 

With a brief mental preparation of the humiliation you were about to bring yourself you inhaled quietly, before following through with what was one of the most embarrassing things you’ve ever done before. 

“Good morning Shishō.” Your voice was loud and clear, albeit a scratch still in your throat, so maybe not as clear as you wanted it to be, but you were subtle at least. 

Mihawk made a hum of agreement, but did not move from his seat. 

You closed your eyes, steeling your nerves as you bow your head slightly, knowing that this was the best course of action. 

Not waiting for another remark from the swordsman, you sunk to the floor in a low bow, your head resting against the hardwood flooring of the dining area, your hands placed beside your head bowing deeply. An act of apologetic forgiveness. Rather humiliating, but you did feel a large amount of remorse for the situation that you had partook in, albeit maybe even caused, and you knew better than to act childishly. It wasn’t entirely your fault, though you had known better than anyone that that kind of thinking was immature, getting you nowhere in life. If you wanted to blame someone, you would blame yourself.

“Gomen Mihawk. I’m deeply sorry for the troubles I have caused you. I’m very thankful for your kindness and patience. I know that I’ve not been the ideal student you had wanted, but I am aware that I have overstepped. I will take any punishment you give me gratefully...Sir.” Your voice was strong, not warbling a bit as you waited for his response.

Your head was resting against the floor, not glancing up at all as you felt footsteps approach, your heart thumping in your chest frantically as you steeled your nerves, ready to accept any punishment he would give you.

Hopefully he wouldn’t be too harsh on you, though you doubted that anything that that man did was ever not at one hundred percent. Bracing yourself for the harsh unforgiving bite of steel you closed your eyes once more, waiting in an anxious silence. 

“Ruse…” Mihawk’s low timbre whispered from above you as you felt his hands run through your long white mane. 

You waited painterly, though if he wasn’t going to deal out the punishment quickly you were going to start to get vexed. You were starved. Famished. And while you knew you could easily just leap up and steal a couple pieces of toast, maybe snag some bacon before you would have to run, you knew that you weren’t going to do that. You wanted to, sure. But you knew that you shouldn’t. Sometimes, things were more important than food, although not many, but there were things that were. 

Mihawk was more than just your teacher. He was your instructor, your companion, your friend. He deserved more from you than your immaturity, and you were aware that if you acted on your impulsiveness now that you would regret it later. So you waited for the swordsman to continue.  
His hand was still running through your long white locks, the other one now was resting on your unguarded back, rubbing your back comfortingly as you submitted to him. He let out a long sigh as he pulled away after a few more moments of stroking your back and running his hands through your hair in a comforting manner. He stood, you only knew because he retracted his hands from you, missing the warmth from them briefly as you continued to stay in your apologetic bow, not moving a muscle.

“Ruse. Stand.” Mihawk’s voice sounded from above you as you felt your joints and muscles jerk automatically, following the command as if it were a second nature. You were on your feet, back in a straightened posture, your hands by your sides, eyes staring directly at the handsome Italian in front of you, none of the usual playful demeanor surrounding you, instead you were simply waiting for Mihawk to continue. A soldier waiting for a command. A student waiting for their teachings. 

“Come.” You followed his command, walking forwards. 

“Look at me.” You looked at him.

His golden-amber eyes shone with what seemed to be pride? Why would he be proud of you? You were doing this because you were ashamed. Guilty. You knew you had caused more trouble to your companion than he had let on, he was a warlord, a man that had more enemies then you would. You didn’t understand why...how he could be proud of you right now.  
You stared at your teacher, brows furrowed in confusion as you waited for his next words. 

“I’m proud of you Ruse. You showed a level of maturity I did not think you were capable of.” You knew you should be frustrated with his words, but for some reason they didn’t feel like his normal taunts from your playful banter that the two of you shared. He sounded like he was genuinely proud of your actions, and that he was pleasantly surprised you were capable of showing remorse like a respectable young adult. It made something warm bubble in your chest, but you continued to meet his gaze head on, ignoring the bubbling feeling in your chest as you waited for him to continue. 

“That is something that even most grown men or women wouldn’t know how to do. You are forgiven Ruse, as you are not the only one at fault. But remember that your actions have consequences. Try to be more cautious in the future Argenti.” His voice held a mixture of emotion in it, pride, remorse, happiness, guilt. You nodded, a small grin on your face as you stared at the man in front of you. He looked like he was remembering something, as if this was something he had not foreseen happening, or maybe he was looking like this because something similar had happened before? You didn’t really know, but it felt a tad strange, he almost seemed sad for a moment.

So you did what any normal person would do in your situation. You reached a hand out to Mihawk, his golden-amber eyes widening a bit as he stared at your hand, outstretched in an offering as you shot him a grin. Your teacher quirked an eyebrow, as if he wasn’t sure what to do in response so you rolled your eyes, grabbing a hold of his hand with your own. Mihawk let out a noise of surprise before he glared at you as you smirked. 

“Now we’re even. You shook hands with me, so all is forgiven. Let’s stop being awkward about this and eat Shishō!” You whine playfully as you swing his hand in yours, a knowing grin on your face as he scowls. 

“Of course Argenti, food is the top priority for you isn't it? Intolerable woman.” He glares at you half-heartedly as he fixes you a plate. 

You beam at him as he sets the peace offering in front of you, drool already gathering as you can feel your stomach growling eagerly. 

“Well, besides you and Red, yeah food trumps everything else.” You grin as you reply, already stuffing your face, not noticing golden-amber eyes widen slightly at your lighthearted yet honest confession. You really could marry this man with the way he cooks! So good! You hum happily as you scarf down some more of the tasty morsels in front of you.

Golden-amber eyes slide close, a knowing smile on your teachers face as he studies you quietly for a moment. With things settled between the two of you, you could talk a little more freely about what happened at the shibaku meeting, but right now there was a more pressing concern. Mihawk for some reason had made two servings of bacon this morning, honestly if your companion ever wanted to take up the career of becoming a cook you wouldn’t say no. But two servings of bacon...that was the main concern for today...two servings of bacon...which meant...seconds! 

Maybe there really was a god after all.

\---


	55. Chapter 55

Ruse’s POV 

After breakfast with Mihawk you had both decided to train to get some of your pent up frustrations and anxiety out. 

“Again Argenti.” You huffed in annoyance but did as you were told, dodging left and then feinting right as you sparred with your teacher.

Mihawk smiled approvingly as you maneuvered your form in the correct way this time, the two of you now on the forest floor, both breathing heavily, laughter bubbling from your chest as you grinned victoriously. 

“Got you Shishō!” You grin at your partner, pinning him down as he shows a look of surprise, not expecting you to leap at him right after you had gotten done with sparring quite so suddenly. He arches a brow at you, pleasantly surprised to find you using your techniques that he had been helping you with as you forced your weight forward, finally able to pin your opponent who smirked at you deviously. 

“And whatever are you going to do now that you have me where you want me Argenti?” His low timbre vibrates from his chest as he teases you, the faux fight having been long forgotten as the two of you banter. 

“Hmm…I don’t know Shishō, what should I do?” You purr teasingly as you run a hand through his messy raven locks, watching as his amber pupils dilate. 

“I have a few ideas…” Your teacher replies seductively as he grabs your wrists with one hand, the other coming to rest on your lower back as you giggle. 

“Oya? And when did the prisoner break free from his shackles hmm Mihawk?” You taunt, a grin stretching across your face as you let the swordsman do as he pleases. You knew better than anyone that you weren’t anywhere near his level of sparring and fighting level yet, but it was still fun to try.

“Hmmm...maybe when the reckless guard had been focusing on trying to seduce her prisoner, he was able to slip past her? What say you Ruse?” You snicker at your partner's playful teasing, arching your back dramatically, fluttering your eyes closed as you feel him stiffen underneath you. 

Ah, works like a charm. Every damn time. Suppressing a chuckle from escaping, you throw your head back, your lips twisted in a cruel smirk as you exaggerate a feminine moan, watching with mirth as the swordsman squirms underneath you. 

“Ahhh...Mihawk, more. Mi Tesoro, do it again.” You feel his amber-gold eyes narrow at you in annoyance at your antics. The flirty wording of using his native tongue in such a way was the icing on the cake. You snicker as you’re shoved off your partner, Mihawk growling at you from the back of his throat as you roll over to the side, laying next to him, a grin on your face. 

“How was that for distracting the opponent hmm...Shishō?” You know he’s rolling his eyes at your childish behavior, but really couldn’t care less. Life was good like this. You and Mihawk, sparring, playing, eating together, training together. It was nice. Honestly, you were going to miss the fickle swordsman when you had to leave, though with the way you always managed to get underneath his skin, you weren’t too sure if he was going to miss you the same. 

But look at Red, he had the same attitude at first, though he was the Ruse in your situation, you chuckle at that, imaging the redhead pirate and his childish behaviors. Mihawk was more mature, a little rougher around the edges. You were probably like a parasite to him, leeching off his misery and emotions. Ha, you knew that wasn’t exactly how he had thought, having had this conversation once before, but you found the idea of it amusing. He had compared you to a parasite yes, but a clever emotional parasite that would latch onto the swordsman, refusing to let go until you were satisfied with the results. Pulling more and more emotions from a depth that even the swordsman himself hadn’t known he had. It was slightly endearing but also mildly insulting that he compared you to an emotional parasite. Tch, the nerve of men sometimes, you really never could understand them.

“Oi, Mihawk?” You question, your grin falling slightly as you lean closer to your companion, snuggling closer to his warmth. 

“Hmm?” He replies, extending an olive branch by reaching an arm down to you, carding his fingers through your long white mane as you latch onto the warmth emanating from him.  
Parasite wasn’t that far off you suppose, a smirk forming as you lean closer in. 

“What are you gonna do when I leave?” You ask, feeling the fingers carding through your hair stop momentarily before they resume, the falter barely seen, but you had felt it, and you wondered what that had meant. 

A long moment of silence hangs between the two of you before you hear his voice replying to you. “I’m not sure Argenti, though knowing you, you won’t stay away for long.” You swear you can feel the smugness radiating off him like a psychical cloud made from egotistical masculinity. Men. They never fail to surprise you.

Damn bastard, he was right, but still. You ‘wouldn’t be staying away for long’ how prideful that man was. Like there was much to stay away from anyways. Sure, his long raven locks and rugged smirk with those beautiful golden eyes so similar to your own were entrancing, pretty if you will-but that wasn’t why you ‘wouldn’t be staying away’ as he had put it. It was because that yes, while Mihawk was a rather handsome Italian swordsman, you were drawn to more than his rugged looks and charm. You were drawn in by his loyalty. His compassion. His love for history, for learning, his scholarly teachings, his kindness, his gentle voice, his rare soft smile he reversed for you after you had done something that he praised you on. Those were the things you would be coming back for, and his looks were a bonus.

Although….maybe his cooking did have a small role to play, along with his stellar housewife duties, that man really did have a five star rate of approval for household chores. You snicker as you inform Mihawk of all of this, his brows furrowing slightly at your ending sentence, pouting childishly at the fact that you called him a ‘trophy wife.’ Tch, it’s not like anyone else was here to have caught the joke. You snicker as you banter with him, enjoying the sun shining down on the two of you as you immersed yourselves with stories and tales. Most included your incredulous plans you had imagined using either for or against Mihawk, who in turn glared at you, daring you to continue. You grinned in return.

Although you knew better than to poke the sleeping bear, you did it anyways. Simply because you loved seeing Mihawk so full of life, so emotional, not hiding behind that expressionless mask of his. You loved watching your companion show a variety of expressions, teasing him constantly. Scowling. Smiling. Smirking. Gloating. Glaring. Pouting. Humming. Concentrating. Everything. 

The swordsman hadn’t even realized it yet himself, but sometimes when the two of you would go out in the town, and you’d banter with him, he would be so relaxed that he would forget to replace his mask. Usually there were some citizens able to glimpse the true nature of the feared shibaku, to the ones observing you waggled your eyebrows at them, as if to say, ‘See? He ain’t that bad.’ They would usually make a point of turning away from the two of you after that, but eh, you counted it as a win. 

The two of you continued to talk, playful jabs being thrown here and there as you relaxed under the now star-filled sky above you, snuggling closer to the swordsman as you started to count each light on the horizon. 

Mihawk had helped, telling you through his usual teaching methods, about the lights in the sky above the two of you. He would dish out his usual snark when you guessed incorrectly, and you'd groan in misery. He'd also smile softly at you though, offering rare-earned praises when you answered correctly. You most certainly did not blush. 

The two of you fell asleep under the stars, sharing stories of why the Ursa Minor and Ursa Major were the way they were, and ending with you arguing that Leo would make a great house-pet, which Mihawk had shook his head to, asking you if you had lost some brain cells while you sparred, before shushing your reply, replying that you likely had very few to spare to begin with, so he would be extra cautious the next sparring session. 

You punched his leg, telling him that he would be the Serpens in the sky, a snake in a garden filling everyone’s head with lies. He replied that you would be Canis Minor, forever small compared to the shadow of the Canis Major, which you huffed at. You'd show him a Canis Minor, damn arrogantly handsome bastard.

This continued on for a while, bantering back and forth as the night stretched on, tiredness overtaking the two of you as you began to drift to sleep underneath the wide open sky, leaves strewn about in hair, carefree smiles on your faces. 

It was a good night. 

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of overdramatized fluffiness for Mihawk, a sweet little chapter here that was a wee bit fluffy but it was v cute and I kinda just had it typed out before I could change it >.<  
> Stay safe guys!  
> -Jade <3


	56. Notice =^.^=

Hey guys, Jade here!

Just wanted to let y'all know that I am still going to be working on Maelstrom because I'm super hecking attached to it! So before ya get any ideas that I'm going MIA on this- heck nah people, too stubborn for that.

But joking matters aside, I will be trying my best to balance some time for work and sleep along with my writing schedule, so please bear with me. I have other fics that I've been working tentatively on so I am trying to divvy out a schedule of writing for all my works in progress... but don't worry I plan on doing a circle/cycle of updating for each book/fic I will be writing and focusing on. It'll be difficult but hey, it's a hobby I love, so I will try my hardest to crank out a chapter for each fic a week-and hopefully more than that-if I can. There might be a slower rate for updates but I will try my best to keep everything updated and savvy.

Hope everyone had happy holidays and all that jazz :) 

Let me know if any of y'all have any requests for Maelstrom and any of my other works in progress! I will happily accept any constructive criticism and am open to collaborations and even more so to any ideas from the readers! 

Stay safe everyone!   
<3


	57. Chapter 57

Ruse’s POV 

-Two Months Later-

“Shishō! I have everything I need, stop mothering me!” You whine as the world's strongest swordsman, Mihawk Dracule, gives you a knowing look.

You arch your brow in return, frowning slightly. You were already dreading the arrogant bastard’s condescending tone as he holds up a familiar looking leather bound knapsack. Ah, hell’s horns, of course you would forget something. And that something just happened to be your 'bug-out bag' as you had so kindly dubbed it. 

Just your luck.

“Argenti, are you confident you can make it to the shore safely? I’ll be more than happy to accompany you, seeing as you conveniently forgot this-” a well defined arm holds up a familiar looking knapsack.

The same knapsack that you had filled with rations of food, smaller weapons that wouldn’t fit on your person, and a small but sturdy medical kit. Your bug-out bag. You had named it this -after a confused look from your teacher prompting you to explain the nickname- because you would found the name clever. It was a literal escape bag. A bug-out bag, or in essence a survival kit. Err, well at least it was to you. The familiar well-worn leather bag held several necessities that you would need when you had to duck and dive so to say. Grab and go. Run and hide. The usual. All in all, it was a perfect knapsack for you, as you never knew when you'd stick your nose into trouble next, you always had your bug-out bag on hand. Mainly so you could snag it when you undoubtedly tangoed with danger, but also because it made you feel a tad bit intellectual. And even if Mihawk gave you a look of slight amusement-or was it bewilderment? You shrug. Either way, you stuck firm to your ideals.

Golden observant eyes glitter in mirth as you quickly snatch your bag away from him with an indiginat growl.

He continues to rant, as if he wasn't even phased by your reaction.

“-I have complete faith in your..." A pause. "Talented...abilities, but as a gentleman and your instructor, I cannot in good faith allow you to traverse that dangerous path by yourself." Another pause, this one a tad longer than the first. "Who knows what would happen to you?” He finishes, a knowing smirk dancing across his lips as you glower.

Tch.

Absolute arrogant, positively smug, devilishly handsome, egotistical bastard. Mihawk Dracule was a man that transcended men, a rightful bastard he was.

Dio e lassu.

Ag, his nature aside, you really couldn't bear to hold a grudge against the man. He had proven his worth, among other things during the long grueling months of training you. You were still somewhat surprised that he had volunteered to taking you under his wing, showing you the ropes. Thank god he did though, you desperately needed it, and he likely had known that.

The Italian swordmaster had taught you the way of the blade, and had helped you control your newfound devil fruit powers, the Okami Okami no Mi. You had thought of the fruit's gift- or curse- as an over glorified canine power in your book. According to Mihawk though, it was a very rare and dangerous devil fruit that many had come to fear, hiding away from even the slightest mention of the name. You had thought it odd, but as you continued to train under Mihawk, you had begun to learn more about the silver fruit you had eaten, and you had learnt that he was right in some ways. The Okami Okami no Mi was a little dangerous, ahh maybe a bit more than a little. Your grueling and tedious training results had proved so. It was a bit odd knowing that there was more depth to the fruit than a simple second skin, that it had given you supernatural abilities that you honestly weren't sure what to do with. You were able to heal yourself with something that your teacher had called 'regenerative healing factoring.' Although you had speculated that was just a fancy term for saying that your devil's fruit had given you the abilities to heal at a rapid speed. It was actually a little exciting, watching your skin stich itself back together or your bones mending themselves after you went too hard on your body. You remember the look of concern on Mihawk's face though after you had strained yourself a little too hard, coughing up chunks of blood after a particularly rough day in the forest surrounding the mansion. You were covered in deep wounds from the Humandrills, your vision was spotty, your voice was weak and you were so, so, so hungry. Mihawk had deemed the situation as you being 'unwell for strenuous exercises' and you were bedridden for almost a week. It was awful. After that incident you had learned to be more cautious using your canine gift, measuring the healing factor in small calculated increments. Apparently the healing factor, one of the many gifts the fruit had given you, had come at a cost. After using it for longer than necessary, or longer than you could handle, it usually left you starving, ravenous. You weren't nearly as excited about using that part of the fruit as you had been prior, your body had been groaning at you in pain as you strained to find equilibrium. You had to balance the level of healing that would work on par with your fast-paced metabolism, and you had spent days tweaking it to your expectations. You were practically glowing when Mihawk had praised you for your growth- not that you would ever admit it- but you felt accomplished with your efforts.

You hadn’t mastered the fruit’s powers in full quite yet, but you were a hell of a lot closer to understanding it than you had been before. Your transitions no longer hurt as much as they had before. Your joints would still ache begrudgingly, but you were able to smoothly shift into your canine form now. Mihawk had helped you with your agility in both human and beast form, and you were positive he had immensely enjoyed those training days, sadistic bastard that he was. Turns out that after days upon days of throwing daggers and short-staff blades -really anything with a sharp edge- at you without warning, you had been able to adept to any unforeseen threats that could potentially take you out at any given moment. You had screamed the first time that he had done it, a thin red trail of blood staining your cheek as you glared at the offender, asking him what in the seven hell's he was thinking only to receive another blade as your answer. Now though, you were able to dip and dive fluidly out of harm's way, even sometimes being able to conceal your presence entirely for a brief few seconds to catch your breath. You were able to dodge and evade the incoming blades thrown at you most of the time, though there were still several near death experiences. Mihawk Dracule wasn't deterred by your cursing and hissing, and he certainly took a twisted sort of joy in grooming your five senses to be at a level he deemed worthy. As your training continued, you slowly began to become more and more successful in in doging the flurry of blades. Mihawk would chuckle at your glares that you shot him when he had thrown a stray blade a tad too close, nicking the shell of your ear. Ah, if you were to reach up and feel for it you knew that you still bore the small white scar that was etched into your skin. Although you could heal it and return it to the way it were prior, you kept it there.

That scar, it was a reminder that there would always be someone that was stronger than you.

Faster than you.

Better than you.

It was a reminder to keep going.

To further yourself.

To achieve greatness.

At the time you were being taught how to evade, you hadn't realized the meaning behind Mihawk's lessons. You hadn't realized that your teacher had been teaching you how to dodge moving projectiles in place for moving opponents, at least at the time you hadn't. Now though, you knew. Mihawk was preparing you for the future, to be able to fight foot to foot with actual opponents, with actual people. You hadn’t fully understood at the time -maybe it was because he was wicked fast when he was throwing daggers at you, much faster than any normal man should be able to. Huh, just what on earth was that swordsman? Nothing mundane that was for certain- But now you were immensely grateful for his lessons. Even if he had nearly killed you in the process.

Another thing you were able to progress in your training was your shifting. You're very proud to say that you can now fluidly shift in between your canine form-whilst keep your swift footed agility- and your humanoid form. It was honestly one of the most grueling and difficult things you've accomplished, but you were able to do it and that was what mattered. It would most certainly be one of your strengths that would come into play for your future, you were positive about that.

Mihawk had spent months teaching you, coaching you, shaping you into someone that you wouldn’t have recognized a year ago. Sure, you still had the same playful teasing attitude, but now you carried yourself with less compensation for your weaknesses and more assuredness for your strengths.

Swift-footed. Lean. Strong.

You carried yourself with confidence rather than a self-deprecating crouch. You stood tall, head head high, a knowing grin that promised trouble.

Mihawk had drilled katas into you -with a rather sadistic streak you weren't surprised he had- lecturing you on your posture until you had finally integrated his teachings into your skin. Now you even applied them to your everyday life.

Who would’ve thought that the way one sat at the table for a late-brunch would affect your sparring lessons? Not you, that’s for sure.

You knew you had complained, but you were honestly grateful for everything that Mihawk had done for you.

He was an incredible teacher, even if he did take a sadistic pleasure in torturing you at times. He was one of the greatest mentors you ever had, and you were proud to be his underling, to be his student, to be his comrade. Mihawk was a strong man, the strongest swordsmen, but he was more than physically strong. He was spiritually strong as well, and you were more than happy to remind him of that. Though, you wouldn't do it too often, men had inflatable egos after all.

Mihawk was more than a great teacher to you though. He had so much more to offer you than simple training lessons, he had his companionship that he had given you. You were always somewhat shocked at the rare soft smiles that he would grace you with when you lounged with him in the library. You were always eager to learn, and perhaps you were similar to him in that way.

He had taught you mindfulness. Being keen, being aware of your surroundings both in and out of battle. He would take to using a playful teasing tone, mainly poking fun at the scatterbrained thought-patterns and impulsivities you held.

He had taught you how to take care of yourself, that you weren't being selfish when you needed to rest. His firm reprimanding glare after you had strained yourself too far in training. His gentle scar-ridden hands that patched your wounds up.

Mihawk was someone who was truly amazing, in every sense of the word. You enjoyed the time you spent learning from him, befriending him along the way, learning not just from him, but about him as well. He was more than a teacher to you, more than a mentor, more than a sparring partner. He was a comrade, a person close to you. The faint word 'Nakama' drifted through your head as you thought back on the time you had spent with the Italian. Perhaps, maybe one day you would be able to call him that.

Today though, today wasn't the day for reminiscing. Today was the day you were to set sail. You were finally ready. Ready to venture out on your own, having soaked up as much as you could from the Italian swordsman, you were eager to start a journey of your own.

The only thing that you weren't eager for though was the day that had been creeping up on you. Two days from now in fact.

You were nearing your nineteenth birthday, and whilst it should be something you should be looking forward to...you were not looking forward to it at all.

You usually loved social outings, having an arsenal of victims you could tease and play with, but birthdays were a tad different. They were supposed to be spent with family, though you had several people you were close with, people that had integrated you into their lives, you didn't have your family. Not your blood one, and that bothered you a bit more than you let on.

You had been musing about that word.

Family.

It felt foreign when you tumbled it around in your mouth.

Shanks, the redhead idiot captain he was- he was family. Although not in the traditional sense. He was someone you loved yes, but not like a father. Hell, not even like a brother. Red was in a class all on his own, he was a comrade, a rival, a lighthouse that beaconed you from the shadows. He was someone that put you on the right path, guided you into the light, gave you a sense of security. Red was someone that had nurtured you, pulled you from the darkness that had once engulfed your life, setting you on the right path. He was someone that you had leant on for strength, looked to for guidance, shared a whole flurry of emotions with. You did the same for him in return, letting him lean on you when he needed. Turn to you for answers to his questions, shared the same emotions that you had with him in return. Red was something similar to family, but he didn't quite fit into that category. Not that he wasn't someone close to you, because by hell he was one of the people that had lived in your heart. Red wasn't family, but he was a person that was damn well close to it.

Mihawk as well. He held a place in your heart just like Red. Both men were not quite family, but deeply close to you.

Mihawk was a comrade, a teacher, a rock for you to lean on and be leant on in return. When you thought about it, both men were so different from one another and yet they were so similar.

Honestly though, you were thankful that they were in your life, not that you would say that to them though. If either man heard you say that they would get an inflated ego the size of the blues. Especially Red, it would go straight to his head that egotistical fool. You snickered at the thought of his pouting face after you denied him an embrace, choosing to wrap yourself around the crew instead. Lucky Roo had been laughing heartily when you glomped onto his arm, a turkey leg in hand as you swung off him, smirking cheekily at the redhead that had a look of mock betrayal on his face. He was dramatic as all hell when he wanted to be.

Shanks, or 'Red' as you dubbed him- a fitting nickname in your view- had glared half-heartedly after the incident. He had been holding onto a childish grudge for two whole days, wallowing in self pity on the Red Force. That man could definitely hold a grudge. He finally snapped out of his mood though and 'forgave you' for your teasing, throwing an arm over your shoulder after you baited him with some high-class ale. You had bought the barrel in a port town well over a month ago, but he gladly took the apologetic gesture without a second thought.

Ah, men. So predictable.

You were sure Mihawk would have a similar reaction of a swollen ego, likely not as theatrically childish as Red, but irritatingly smug in his own way. He had already proven his arrogant streak to you the first time you had met him. You still remember the look of disbelief on his face when you called him 'Coffin Boy.' Ah, those were the times.

Really, men were such simple creatures.

Speaking of simplicity.

You blinked slowly, coming back to reality after wandering too long in your thoughts.

“Ha. Ha. Very clever Shishō. By all means, be my guest.” You quip back, a smirk of your own curving your scarred lips.

Mihawk raises a brow in question at the knowing tell-tale signs of your smug traits bleeding through your words. He gave you a cursory look over, leaning against the wall as he studies the intentions behind your sudden mirthful mood.

“Ah?”

“The most outstanding, awe-inspiring, perfect gentleman that you are, ahh how can anyone compete?" You pause for a moment for your overexaggerated theatrics to have some impact.

You feel the tug of a grin creeping across your face as you continue, barely managing to keep your laughter at bay.

"‘Tis a shame with all your gentlemanly chivalry you’ve yet to have anyone to woo. Such a shame indeed.” You taunt, a knowing look painted on your face as he shoots you a half-hearted glare in return.

Golden eyes glimmering in faux indigitation.

You loved to banter with the Italian swordsman, eager to trade quick-witted musings with him. There was always a smug grin on your face when you drew him in. You truly did love to trade verbal barbs with him, and you were sure he thought the same. Most of the time you'd be the one to initiate the witty retorts, but sometimes the positions would switch between the two of you. There were times he’d be the one to start with the playful banter, being the one to draw you in instead. You suppose you could have been bothered by the reversal of positions, but you weren't. In fact it was something you were proud to say that you accomplished. Not just anyone could trade verbal quips with a shibaku, much less a shibaku by the name of Mihawk Dracule, the world’s strongest swordsman. 

“Mm, so you say, Argenti. You know- now that you are speaking of the matter of wooing, how do you think Red Hair is faring?” Gold eyes sparkle in amusement as you glower.

Damn him, he just had to one-up you didn’t he?

Mihawk was well aware of the relationship between you and the red haired captain. You knew this because you were the one who had told him, spilling your secrets about the kiss that had taken place prior to your training with the shibaku. Mihawk had listened to you whine about Red's childlike behavior, about his sudden romantic advances and things of the sort. Surprisingly enough, he hadn't poked fun at you, but offered you advice instead.

Mihawk had told you that Red was known as a womanizer but that he seemed to treat you differently than most of his conquests. You remember that you had snorted in reply. You also remember -very vividly- telling Mihawk in response, "No way in hell would I become one of his flings. I may curse my existence but to willingly throw myself at that? Haa- o'er my cold dead body."

He laughed at that.

You also remember -with a sinking feeling of dread- that you had suddenly been sparked with an ingenious idea at the time. You being the impulsive brat you were had decided to wager a bet with the Italian swordsman. A bet that you were slightly regretting. You had boldly-stupidly- declared to Mihawk that you would never fall in love, be it Red or anyone else. In fact you think you had said something along the lines of, "Haa- I'll wager a bet with you Shishō. I know for a fact that I'll win this one too. I'll bet that I'll never face the day that I, Ruse D. Argenti will ever fall in love." You had paused to tack on an afterthought. "In fact, I'm confident enough that I bet that I'll likely die before that happens." You were so smug at the time, feeling so self-assured. Ah, really you were too impuslice for your own good some times weren't you?

He hadn't laughed at that.

Instead, he had looked at you in a deadly seriousness, a thoughtful look on his face. You remember that he had asked you if you were sure you wanted to claim such a feat. You being the brilliant young genius and stubborn ass that you were had stupidly said, "Of course! I've got a good feeling about this. I won't be taking back what I said, and I'll have you know that I am a very good gambler. Haven't lost once." You had grinned at him, confident and cocky. "No man will ever make me fall for him." You had paused for a moment, deliberating on how far you wanted to dig this hole for yourself. Then you had muttered something that you knew was going to bite you in the ass later. "Not even you Shishō!"

Self-assured as ever, that was one trait that would never change. Honestly, sometimes you amazed even yourself with your own brash impulsiveness.

Mihawk had gotten oddly quiet after that. Honestly, you thought he wouldn't bring the matter back up, yet, low and behold, he did. A couple hours after your bold statement he quietly tells you that he'll take that bet, his golden eyes flashing in amusement. As if he knew something you didn't. He had told you that he would only take you up on your bet if you were to agree to the stipulations in return, and you being the brash idiot you are had eagerly agreed. You weren't sure why you had felt a sudden surge of nervousness when your teacher's grin had seemed a tad bit more sadistic than usual.

You still vividly remember Mihawk's self-confident grin, telling you that when you lost the bet, not if but when -that smug bastard- that he would be more than happy to collect his winnings.

Thus a bet was placed.

After the fact, Mihawk would go out of his way to bring up the bet the two of you had made. He would usually slip in a couple small verbal taunts tied to your claim about romances here and there. Other times he would tease you about Red, knowing that when he did so he would get a rise out of you more often than not. Sometimes he would simply poke fun at you, forgoing the bet related teasing entirely, instead giving you a knowing smirk. You hated that smirk, it was too cocky, too confident.

Dammit, he had you there.

You knew that the second your conversations would steer in that direction that you would lose whatever verbal or mental battles you were fighting.

You decide to not answer the question -knowing it was a trap- having already gotten used to the clever-witted banter that the two of you traded.

You knew that behind those pretty honey gold eyes there was a calculating predator that was ten steps ahead of you most- if not all- of the time.

Best to avoid a win he already knew he had. 

Your glower slips into a sly smile as you change tactics. Sometimes- very rarely, but on occasion- you were able to catch the calculating swordsman off guard with your sheer impulsivity. Well...that and...your randomized and very...err..untraditional behaviors.

“Nee, Shishō?” You smile sweetly at your comrade. 

His eyes narrow as he takes in the shift of your demeanor, twitching slightly at the honeyed tone you had taken.

“Yes Ruse?” He didn’t use your surname, likely hoping that it would negate whatever impulsive decision you were making, even if it were just a little bit.

Smart man.

Your smile grew wider, a sweet grin on your face as you see him take a cautious step back.

“One last spar before I head out?" You pause for a moment, grinning innocently.

"For old time’s sake.” Your eyes are nearly closed as you beam at the man, his gaze shifting worriedly around, likely mentally checking off the list of hidden weapons you had on you.

“Ah." He pauses before continuing, keen golden gaze still analyzing your every move.

"Well, why ever not Ruse? Best two out of three?” He replies, pleased that he hadn’t found any hidden blades on your smaller stature.

Little did he know.

You grin darkly before quickly covering it with the honeyed sweet smile you wore seconds before.

“Sounds fair to me. Ready?” You ask, flickering your gaze back to him as you nod appreciatively at his stance.

Mihawk draws his blade, a small grin tugging at his lips as he readies himself for the spar you had ever so sweetly propositioned.

Oh, this would be fun. 

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearing the start of Ruse's journey, hecka! Gotta say, even if I did make Mihawk a tad OOC, I think it works well for the story. Who wouldn't like a prickly arrogant yet somewhat kind teacher for learning the blade from? -Swoon- 
> 
> Mihawk aside, nearing that big nineteenth number, a vaguely important number- oh heck yeah- y'all already know!
> 
> Stay safe and hydrated guys!  
> -Jade <3


	58. ...Another Notice...

Hey everyone! So sorry that this is not an actual chapter update...I've been under a tad bit of stress lately. I'm super sorry for anyone that's been following up and reading any of my works, I did promise to update again soon but it looks like something happened, had an unexpected death in the family so...may be a short bit of time to update again. I do promise I will try and post some more after everything settles down, but for now just wanted to let all my readers know that nothing will be discontinued as of now... it just might take a bit of time before I can upload again. Sadly, I'm one of those kinda of people that just can't publish something (whether it's fact or fiction) while knowing that I can do better. So, I won't be publishing anything that I know won't be one hundred percent of my best...not meant in an egotistical way or anything...(If it sounded like that I apologize)...just one of the few little personality traits that a lot of artists tend to have been cursed/blessed with.   
Anyways, thank you again to everyone that has been following up on my works and leaving comments and kudos below... it's always one of my favoiret things to see when I log on after work.   
I really appreciate everything you guys leave for me, and hope that y'all continue to do so!  
I'll try to continue to write and work out a less confusing schedule for publishing, so for now...please bear with me!   
Thank you all again so so much!   
Please stay safe and hydrated for everyone out there as always!  
-Jade <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI- I have been slowly re-editing out and polishing up this fic in particular for any grammar errors or vocabulary translation, etc. etc.   
> Please let me know if I missed anything if any of you guys see anything amiss!   
> Love y'all!  
> -Jade


End file.
